I Shall Rent It Out For Weddings & Make My Fortune
April 16, 2010
Old n' Busted: the Ball Popper.
New Hotness: THIS SHIT
Because let's face it: Kids like bubbles way more than you like sitting there blowing them. Over and over again until your hands are all soapy and your knuckles are scratched up from constantly trying to dig that little annoying wand out of the bottle after it slipped out of your fingers for the millionth time and every other attempt is a dud that produces no bubbles and ladies and gentlemen, THOSE DAYS ARE BEHIND YOU. THE FUTURE IS NOW AND IT INVOLVES BATTERY-POWERED BUBBLE MACHINES.
You may be tempted into thinking that a million bubbles is enough, and that a gazillion bubbles is just marketing overkill.
Don't be fooled. I counted. After a million bubbles we were only having about one-hojillionth of the fun we were having after a gazillion bubbles. That means you're technically getting about four squidillion times the fun for only about $4.99 more.
(This is Noah setting things up so the slide would be like a "car wash.")
(This is Ezra eying the thing warily while Noah busts some bubble kneecaps.)
(He calls them bubbas. It's awesome.)
Another plus: since bubble solution is mostly just soap, I think this (followed by a blast with the hose) counts as a bath.
(Teaching your son to care for your garden while wearing a shirt that says You Don't Win Friends With Salad: +5 irony.)
Hey, remember that time with the bubbles just now? That was great. Wasn't that great? You wanna go see if we can go scale the fence or something now?
Yes, clearly it's been one wild and crazy week around here, in between all the big educational decisions and playdates and turning our backyard into some kind of toddler Studio 54 because YOU KNOW I had Lady Gaga playing the whole time the bubble machine was on. YOU KNOW I DID.
(I also wrote advice stuff, boob stuff, IEP meeting stuff and frivolous reality show stuff. I'm just ridiculously well-rounded.)
(Oh, shit. I almost published and committed a felony. That link to the bubble machine is an Amazon Affiliate link. Wow. That was a close one. Living on the barest edge of the law, y'all.)
that is the shit...period. I need one now. I bought some godforsaken bubbles at the dollar store and they came sans wand!!! WTF?!?!? Cause I have spare bubble wands lying around my house>>
Heh. The Felonious Link (new band name!) is also broken.
My 2 1/2 year old son can identify a Lady Gaga song after the first note plays...I hope that means big things for him in the future.
i'm way sold.
the yard is so neat. and orderly. and cute and green and it really makes me want to go tidy things up outside.
CHEATING! You gotta *work* for the bubbles! ;)
It's so GREEN over there! We still have snow and everything is brown and sludgey. What the hell!
Try the rocket stomper bubbles. From Gazillion Bubbles too. That is a big hit in these parts!
I was fine with not having kids for the past thirty thirteen years and then I went and found your blog. Ezra is enough to make me reconsider - he is one of the most adorable little boys I've seen!
You can't forget the complete lightheaded-ness and nearly passing out from lack of oxygen that accompanies blowing bubbles manually as well!
Broken link alert. Guess it was from trying to not commit that felony...
Buying this NOW!
We got our bubble machine from a garage sale last year. The best $2 ever spent.
Yes! The bubble machine. I do not own one but my daycare does. Just this morning my 15 month old son was upset about going to daycare (it's a rare thing, but he really wanted to read books this morning and didn't want to leave the house!). As soon as we got him out of the car at daycare, he looked over at the fence and saw the bubble machine. Stopped crying. Pointed. Said "bubba's!" And all was well. I need to get one for this weekend!
I love you EVEN MORE now that you quoted Men in Black at the beginning of a post.
How is that no one else picked up on that? Isn't Will Smith EVERYONE'S favourite actor? No? Just mine?
Oh.
@ Carmen - no, I knew it was a quote but couldn't figure out the movie! But yeah, love me some MIB!
The 'Easter Bunny' (aka 'Mommy') left bubble rings inside the plastic eggs. Which Noelle now begs for all. the. frickin. time. She even took it to daycare with her today. WTH was I thinking????
Am thinking that a bubble machine would be a really good idea right about now....
This might be a good Father's Day gift considering Simon spends part of his day almost passing out from all the hyperventilating it takes to blow bubbles to Wombat's specifications (i.e., MORE MORE MORE!).
You just added two things to my shopping list: the bubble machine and that t-shirt Jason is wearing. I was *just* singing that and conga-lining through my kitchen this weekend so I have no choice but to buy it.
I want one. Now. Where?
And salad would win my friendship in a heartbeat. But then, I'm a dirty hort.
bubble schmubble - that is one hell of a mullet Ezra is sporting there. I mean, it kinda makes sense with the Studio54 reference but, well, you know, dude, it's a mullet.
And 'you can't make friends with salad'? Our favourite Simpsons episode EVAH.
As you were.
Oh my goodness, that shirt is all kinds of awesome!! I clicked through, purchased one for my husband (who sings that little tune every time we have salad), and then clicked back to finish reading your post!! So fun. Oh, and the bubbles look cool, too. :)
Shouldn't that t-shirt have Homer Simpson on it? Or better yet, the whole cast in a conga line, singing, "You don't win friends with Sal-lad!" Now I have to go watch that episode.. good season.
Also, another annoying link-problem-pointer-outter: Your smackdown link is to December. Ha!
Have a lovely weekend!
Also, the link in "Advice Stuff" goes to a 2009 Holiday Card post?
Ah yes the bubble machine! We have 3 of them. They're all broken. Why? Because for future reference they do not work well when filled with sand or spaghetti. Just so you know.
Why does Ezra look like the cutest mini-prisoner ever?? Yes, I am de-lurking after 4+ years to say that!
I am getting one of those ASAP. I hate blowing bubbles.
Put this thing out during a kids party and see what happens. Kids brains exploding from the awesomeness! Plus, major cool points from the other little kiddo's.
Costco has them in my neck of the woods right now (Colorado) for less than $20.
I'm pretty sure both the kid AND the dog would get entertainment from gazillions of bubbles. BONUS!
Also, did you purposely put them in opposite striped clothes? Way cute!
I LOVE Gazillion bubbles. They are the best bubbles ever! I have to get this bubble machine tomorrow. I got a Little Tikes one @ Target that sucked!
I KNOW. We got our first one at Costco a few years back and are on our third now. Every year when my dad asks what the kids need/want for their birthdays I'm like "NEW BUBBLE MACHINE!" and he's like "lazy daughter." I'm never smart enough to keep ours out of reach and by the end of summer it's been tipped one too many times and all the bubble juice has some how found it's way into the battery compartment and destroyed the battery compartment innards. But still so worth the $.
I work as a playground supervisor & I brought a gigantic bottle of bubbles for the kids to play with. Our playground is so windy they merely have to hold up the wand in the air. Anyway, it is RIDICULOUS how apeshit kids go for bubbles. At least kindergartners, 1st, & 2nd graders. The older kids are all cynical and jaded about bubbles.
oh the cuteness, it is bubbleliscious! (sorry, could not resist)
oh...AND you compost...?!! what next,homemade bubble solution? :P
Have you seen "The Business of Being Born"? I'd love for you to write a post about C-section and all of that. I just found out I'm pregnant and am terrified of all the choices. Hospitals scare me. Homebirth scares me. Having only an OB-GYN scares me. Having only a midwife scares me. I think right now I'm leaning toward a birth center, with no intervention except as a "backup" plan in case of emergency. This is my first.
Oh my my, oh hell yes!
We have a battery operated bubble blower that looks like a dog. I think it might be the best invention EVER. I may or may not lay a big fat wet one on the inventor should I ever meet her. Cause it was obviously a mom that invented this. :-)
I think eyes-wide-with-wonder little boys running around in one piece romper deals are to moms, what a jabilliondy-one bubbles are to little boys.
That bubble machine is genius! I wish I had had one at my birthday party last weekend. Yes, I am older than 6.
oh oh oh bubbles. want to get me a machine like that.
do you or your readers ever make your own bubble solution? i've heard it's not hard and muuuch cheaper, but have not tried myself.
if you do have a good recipe, can i add something like, oh, a basil perfume to it if i want, without screwing up the soap-water ratios?
(yes i am frou-frou. but it would be nice!!)
thank you.
Great blog, keeping me from working
I bought one for my two year old a few weeks ago and it is truly a lazy mom's dream come true!! And yes, it totally counts as a bath, too. Made of win!
Forget the kids, this thing will keep my obsessive compulsive neurotic dog busy for days!!! MUST GET NOW.
Ezra's going to get a complex with the prison duds. Just sayin'
That is a GREAT invention - we had one where we had Elmo holding a couple of the bubble blowing mechanisms and it enthralled our (then) toddler for quite some time.
we have one of those it is *magical*
Don't forget the awesome lightheadedness you get from appeasing the cries of "MORE BUBBLES!!!!!"
Bubble machines: More bubbles, less passing out!
We had a different bubble machine...it just frothed like a rabid dog. Will hafta try this one.
what a flippin blast!
looks like so much fun.
i'm currently telling everyone i know about "the best bubbles on earth" that we have in our music class [gymboree.com] and you can CATCH those bastards. yes. you can catch a bubble (or 6).
my daughter used to be impressed. (as a 1 1/2 year old can be). until the easter bunny brought them in her basket. now she will not pop a damn one.
loving the creativity---- a car wash! FUN.
Playing Lady Gaga while they play in the bubbles. I like your style! This was a great send off to the weekend! :)
Hmmm... Perhaps I shall have to invest. Since the ball popper made heads explode with joy around these parts.
I just bought a Gazillion Bubbles machine at Costco this weekend.... I think it is the Typhoon version. So excited to break that sucker out this week!
Okay, look here, lady. You recommended the ball popper, and like a glassy-eyed obedient fool, I went and bought one for my daughter for Christmas. That stupid thing haunts my dreams. I have fantasies about going to BlogHer, just so I can follow you around and get right behind you and go "YIPPEE" directly in your ear, or maybe "YAY!" in just that helium-plus-crack voice that stinking toy has.
But then again, it makes her happy like almost nothing else. She stands there, beaming at it, and doing a little knee-bobbing dance...bah. Even my almost nine year old son sort of loves it.
So do you think I'm going to fall for your bubble machine of madness? DO YOU?
Yeah.
Prolly.
I used to play with bubbles a lot when I was little. It is one of the most enjoyable moments I ever had.