Today, I stumbled across a DIY lava lamp project on Pinterest, and I thought, why not give it a shot? I made the rookie mistake of leaving the browser open, and when my son Alex peeked over my shoulder, his eyes lit up. “Can we make those today?” he asked. Of course, my dear! Let’s do this!
I gathered measuring cups, vegetable oil, and a glass jar, only to realize we were out of food coloring. Alex’s excitement quickly turned to disappointment. “Don’t worry, buddy. When Dad gets home, I’ll get you the food coloring,” I reassured him.
Once Jeff arrived, I kept my promise. There’s a Whole Foods just five minutes away, so I called to confirm they had food coloring in stock. They did—thank goodness!
However, upon arriving at the store, I discovered that they sell food coloring for TWENTY DOLLARS! I spent several minutes weighing whether to fork over an extra fifteen bucks for convenience or drive to the Giant store fifteen minutes away. Eventually, Alex’s hopeful face popped into my mind, and I found myself in line at the register.
The cashier asked how my evening was going, and I chuckled, explaining I was about to spend twenty dollars on food coloring. She suggested I just go to Giant, where it’s way cheaper. “You’re right,” I admitted, and walked out empty-handed.
So, off I went to Giant, where I found the food coloring and waited in line. I even picked up some gum. But when it was time to pay, I realized I’d left Whole Foods with less cash than I thought and had no way to cover the four-dollar food coloring. Great.
I drove back to Whole Foods to retrieve my wallet, praying it was still there. Thankfully, it was, along with the twenty-dollar food coloring, which I begrudgingly purchased while rolling my eyes at my own absurdity. Lesson learned—no more Pinterest science experiments for the kids!
Finally back home, Alex was ready for the great lava lamp experiment of 2012. We added the oil, salt, water, and food coloring to the jar, and… nothing happened. We sat there, waiting. “Is it supposed to do something?” Alex asked, and all I could do was apologize.
I blame the all-natural, preservative-free, plant-based food coloring. Pinterest, this is it for us (again).
If you’re interested in more ways to support family activities, check out this post on Cervical Insemination. Also, for those considering home insemination, Cryobaby offers reliable kits, and Cleveland Clinic provides excellent resources for pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, while Pinterest can be a source of inspiration, sometimes it leads to more hassle than fun. Just remember to check your supplies and maybe skip the pricey experiments next time.
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