A Date with Johnny The Skull

So, my husband’s birthday just passed and I have to say he has to be one of the most difficult people for me to shop for. The man has everything he could want or need. I hate giving birthday gifts that people “need”. He is a tattoo artist and only ever asks for supplies. It drives me nuts! So, this birthday I decided to try something a little more fun and quirky. We always say we need more family time and the other day I found the perfect gift to encourage that.

It’s the Johnny the Skull Electronic Game.  This is a great family time in the dark game and perfect for our quirky little family. Johnny the Skull is a skeleton that sees ghosts everywhere he turns and the player must help Johnny by shooting the ghosts. How fun is that!

I definitely hit a home-run with this gift. Not only is it a perfect fit for my husband, it was something we had never seen before, and to top it off the kids loved it too! Johnny is a foot tall skeleton that can sit anywhere with a head that spins 360° flashing ghosts all over the walls. The goal is for each player to take the included laser gun and shoot as many ghosts as you can. Being that this is a family game and our kids are pretty young, it was really great to see that Johnny has different levels of difficulty.

After dinner and birthday cake the whole family piled into the living room, turned off all the lights and started our first ghost hunt with Johnny the Skull. We had a blast! The ghosts were easy to see and the sensor was very accurate. Since it a projection from Johnny’s eyes, the ghosts will pop up on everything in the room – even on the players! I definitely give this little ghost a gold star. Although it's bit pricey ($35 when I bought it), it was worth the money.

The best part is, this cute little guy really fits in well with our home decor. Even if we don’t play very often – he looks great sitting on my fireplace.

The Rockin' Parents Guide to Back to School

So back to school is always a little exciting, a little stressful, and little hectic... and sadly I've only been doing it for 3 years. Does it get any easier? Well, this year I really wanted back to school to be fun for MJ and with our twisted little family taste princess stickers and a new dress wasn't going to cut it.

Here are some really fun ways to add a little twist and little smile for back to school.

Fun, Spooky and Edible

Ok, so this bento box doesn't look like something my kid would be too interested in eating for lunch, but she would definitely love the skulls and bones cut outs made from cheese.

Creepy Crawly Cookies

Every kid loves their cookies but these fossil cookies from Martha Stewart look like a blast to eat (although a little creepy).

Fruit With Attitude

I love this idea. Tattooed fruit. Really?! I've literally tattooed an orange and still never thought of putting temporary tattoo on the skin of a fruit. Amazing! This will actually work on most fruit too. (Flickr)

Rockin' New Lunch Boxes

What better way for your kid to say "don't touch my lunch money" then with a fierce new lunchbox like one of these from Apartmenttherapy.com.

Rockin' The Back To School Style

Every little back to school wardrobe for our family isn't complete without some skulls (MJ's favorite) and a rockin' leather jacket. The pink cuffs on this leather motorcycle jacket is to die for and Old Navy has some pretty awesome skull sports shirts this fall.

How Do Kids Feel About Inked-Up Parents?

Our tattoos represent our personality, our history, our creativity (our mistakes), and are just plain fun (until we decide their mistakes, lol). People of all ages are tattooed now and the exposure to our children's isn't something that we typically consider. But should we? How do your kids respond to your tattoos?  We'll never really know how they will impact the future of our kids, but for now....

Which will you end up with???

In my home, my kids are constantly exposed to tattoos because my husband is a tattoo artist. In our family each kid reacts differently. MJ has absolutely no interested in them, doesn't care to see what daddy does, and NEVER wants to get a tattoo. LaLa on the other hand, is obsessed. She loves to look at them, always wants fake tattoos, and constantly asks daddy to draw on her. My children hold no prejudice towards tattoos and will never disrespect anyone based on the ink on their skin, but how exactly will it influence them when they grow up? What do you think?

Outgrowing The Stigma

There is an obvious stigma in society towards parents with tattoos. Being one of those parents, you see the glares and the judgement as you pass. I am mother of two, a great mother, who is actively involved in my children's education, and has strived to instill strong morals and respect - which is much more then I can say for a growing number of parents in today's society, tattooed or not. So why, in societies views, am I the corrupt influence on my children?

Only 30 years ago tattoos were restricted to bikers and misfits and were considered the brand of the rebel. Individuals who were shunned simply because of their chosen form of expression. Instead of being seen as a new form of art, they were the mark, a warning, to keep your distance. Society is evolving quickly though. Only 15 years ago visible tattoos were unacceptable in the workplace and had to remain hidden at all times, if you were lucky enough to find a company to accept them at all.

Have you noticed your local supermarket cashier lately? Tattoos have finally made their way out of most of the standard Employee Handbook Policies and into your common customer service occupations. I was walking through the grocery store today, and noticed something that had never been so apparent. On this warmer southern day I noticed that nearly every person I passed by had some kind of tattoo. Individuals from all generations, young and old.

I strongly believe that we are very close to overcoming the outdated stigma that still has a stronghold on our society. As society begins to accept just the mere site of tattoos, it will still be some time until our parenting abilities are no longer being questioned because of the decorations on our skin. All we can do is continue to care from our child, setting the example for the future generations, that it is not acceptable to judge anyone based on the color of their skin, or the decorations that it may hold.