Diapers and Divas

Yeah...So...Some Stuff's Happened...

2013-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all, How have you been? Oh that's good...good to hear it. Oh how are we? We're good...let me fill you in a bit on what's been going on in my life and I'll let Heather share hers at a later date.

Obviously I haven't been around for awhile. Things have been NUTS in my life. First, my life's been rocky. I won't go into exact details about it, but let me just say that marriage takes WORK. A lot of WORK. And it's easy to give up....but in my family there are no quitters. So that's been going on.

Another is my husband's work went through a major management restructure and they decided that his position wasn't needed anymore. Um, Ouch. So in the midst of it all, Craig was let go from his job. This was hard...IS hard...but we are also getting through it. We just have to buckle down and make it work. Isn't that the D&D motto all along...work what you got? Well, we are working it to the bone, baby.

Also, I was looking into another job...within my current company...but it would definitely be a promotion. Which is GREAT, but with every promotion comes more responsibility, more time, YES more money....but right now money was the only appealing aspect. It would take away time with my family, time to do my Etsy shop (which I love), time to read/garden/play/run/eat/drink and I could go on. It's most definitely an opportunity that will eventually present itself again in the future and that I would love to take...but after much decision making and self reflecting...it's not something that's good for me now. With all the change that is going on in the rest of my life, this wasn't the move for me. So there was that too.

So, all that being said, these changes have provided me with a little bit of new insight into life, one that I personally want to bring to this blog as we bring BACK the blog. My husband and I have realized that our house has not been a home for awhile, it's just been a place to rest our heads. And we definitely want to make it a HOME. We realized that we need to buckle down because of our current job situations and start really being frugal, making meals at home, and cutting back on alot of things (yes my shopping addiction must cease). Also, we realize that family is more important than ever...and we want to do more as a family and create wonderful new memories for us and our kids. These topics aren't foreign to the world of Diapers & Divas, but right now I have a whole new light on them and I want to bring them back with a passion. I hope you all enjoy the little mini re-birth of our blog, and I can't wait to share all the good things that I see happening in my life!

Disney On Ice: Treasure Trove - Mom Deal!

2013-04-29T11:03:00.002-07:00

Time is running out! If you want to catch the newest Disney On Ice show, Treasure Trove, you need to get on the ball and get your tickets! The show runs from May 1-12 in Long Beach and Ontario. Lucky for you, I have a little promo code for you to get discount tickets!

Here you go, friends (and procrastinators)!

3 Easy Ways to Redeem Your Savings:
1. Go to appropriate Arena Box Office
2. Call ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 (Long Beach Arena) or AXS at 1-888-9AXS TIX (Citizens Business Bank Arena)
3. Log onto Ticketmaster.com (Long Beach Arena) or AXS.com (Citizens Business Bank Arena)

Use code: MOM
Excludes Front Row and VIP seats. No double discounts. Additional fees may apply.

Hope to see you there!

Disney On Ice: Treasure Trove

2013-03-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

If you know anything about us over here at Diapers & Divas, it's that we are Disney lovin' gals. I'm super excited that Disney On Ice is still going strong. I remember going to a few of these performances as a kid and they were a blast! I'm excited to take Will to this Treasure Trove performance.

Here's an excerpt from the press release to tell you about the show. Seriously, you couldn't have more of your Disney animated movie bases covered with this performance. They've got every one from Mickey and the gang to Rapunzel to Snow White to Peter Pan!

Hit the ice with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy as they embark on a fun-filled treasure hunt for some of the most popular Disney films ever. Families can expect to get tangled up in the Walt Disney Studio’s 50^th animated feature with Tangled stars Rapunzel and Flynn, and enter the worlds of other favorite Disney princesses – Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan, and of course, the one who started it all, Snow White. Youngsters of all ages will enjoy setting sail with Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell, and the cantankerous Captain Hook & his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land and trekking the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’ And no one wants to be late to a very important date with Alice & the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army of Cards. Highlighting eight Disney movies and more than 50 Disney characters featured, Feld Entertainment’s Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove has a magical story for every generation to relive!

Here are the deets:

WHEN: Long Beach Arena: Wednesday, May 1 – Sunday, May 5

300 E. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

o Wednesday, May 1^st 7:30PM

o Thursday, May 2^nd 7:30PM

o Friday, May 3^rd 12:00PM & 7:30PM

o Saturday, May 4^th 11:30AM, 3:30PM & 7:30PM

o Sunday, May 5^th 11:30AM, 3:30PM & 7:30PM

Citizens Business Bank Arena: Wednesday, May 8 – Sunday, May 12

4000 Ontario Center Parkway, Ontario, CA 91764

o Wednesday, May 8^th 7:30PM

o Thursday, May 9^th 7:30PM

o Friday, May 10^th 12:00PM & 7:30PM

o Saturday, May 11^th 11:30AM, 3:30PM & 7:30PM

o Sunday, May 12^th 1:30PM & 5:30PM

TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $20, $25, $45 (VIP) and $65 (Front Row)*

Opening Night tickets available for only $12 each (not valid for premium seating)

Ø Long Beach tickets available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com or LongBeachCC.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in-person at the Long Beach Arena Box Office

Ø Ontario tickets available for purchase online at AXS.com or CBBankArena.com, charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or in-person at the Citizens Business Bank Arena Box Office

*tickets may be subject to service charges, facility and handling fees.

Get your tickets early and maybe we'll see you there!

Recipe: Tomato Soup

2013-02-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

It’s not as fast as opening up a can of Campbell’s condensed, but it’s not too terribly time consuming either. It is definitely worth the upgrade in taste! After cruising some basic tomato soup recipes, I came up with my own…
I know, you’re in shock.

Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
1 Onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. EVOO
4 Cups Chicken Stock (or veggie stock)
3 14.5 oz. cans tomatoes (stewed, whole, crushed, what ever)
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp. cayenne for a little kick

Directions:
Heat EVOO in stock pot. Add onion and garlic. Cook down until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add chicken stock, canned tomatoes, thyme, oregano, pepper, and cayenne. Simmer for 10 minutes. Puree ingredients (if you have a stick blender, then this is a breeze!). Taste for seasoning. Adjust if needed. Simmer for a few minutes to let the puree meld and you’re done!

This made 3.5 pints along with the 3 servings we ate for dinner that evening. If you’re a canner like me, you can process the leftovers and store in the pantry for later. Which makes it a lot easier than opening a can of condensed since you’re just opening a can of your own premade fabulousness!

Enjoy!

DIY Chore Chart

2013-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Santa started quite the Skylanders craze in our house. Will couldn’t be happier, and is now addicted to these things! Seriously, he talks in his sleep about Skylanders.
Since Hubby & I are just a smidge smarter than a 3 year old, we decided that maybe we should use his Skylanders addiction to our advantage. Thus the Kiddo Chore Chart was born!

I cruised Pinterest for some inspiration, but I couldn’t find anything that quite fit the bill. Hubby & I agreed that it needed to be colorful, fun, and needed to have some kind of moving component.

Here’s what I used:

Magnetic White Board (I had this over my desk & wasn’t using it.) – $8.94
Metal Spiderman Bucket (from the $1 bin) – $1
3M Command Hook & Velcro Strip (I always have these around the house) – $3.94 for 2 pack
Square Glass Magnets from Staples – $1 for each 6 pack, need 2 packs
Pack of Dry Erase Markers – $7
Mod Podge

I had everything except the magnets & dry erase markers on hand, so I spent $10 out of pocket. If you needed to buy everything, you’re barely over $20. Not too shabby!

First I used the velcro strip thingys and the hook to hang the board & bucket on the wall. I made sure to do it at 3-year-old height, since Will would be the one moving the magnets.

I am on a gold spray kick, so I taped off the inside of the Spiderman bucket and took it outside for a makeover…

After a few light coats of primer and gold spray paint, we were in business. I also sprayed the base of my hurricane while I was at it. I was tired of it being black… the gold is FAB!

Next, it was time to work on the magnets.

We brainstormed for quite a while for some “chores” Will could do. The key is to keep it simple. He’s only 3. So part of the strategy of this Chore Chart is for Will to willingly do everyday tasks without incident.

Brush Your Teeth
Get Dressed
Help Clean Up The House – This is just what ever I ask him to help me with. Put the utensils away from the dishwasher, help sort the laundry & load it in the washer, etc.
Clean Up Your Room
Learning – more on this in a minute.

I just used some cute clipart I found on Word and online. I sized them up so they were a tad smaller than the magnets and printed them out on our regular ol’ inkjet printer, on regular ol’ printer paper.

Now that they’re all cut, I placed them on the magnet squares and used a little paint brush to brush on some Mod Podge.

I made sure to Mod Podge the edges well because if a little edge is lifted, someone’s little fingers will find it and peel it. It dries clear, so there’s no need to worry about it looking a little messy.

While the Mod Podge dried, it was time to jazz up the dry erase board:

Now we are in business:

Once it was all installed & ready to go, Hubby sat down and explained how this system works. Will was just a little excited.

Here’s how it works:

Every day Will brushes his teeth (or Mom or Dad brush his teeth), and it is a nice & easy experience, Will gets to move his magnet up one square. The same goes for Will getting dressed by himself and cleaning up the toys in his room. Of course, there’s still drama while doing these chores, but typically, he gets one warning like “if you don’t do this nicely, you don’t get to move your magnet”. Sometimes that is a nice reminder and he changes his attitude, and sometimes he doesn’t. It’s a bummer when he doesn’t get to move the magnet up, but that’s life. We don’t make a big deal about it or yell about it. We just remind him that that’s not how you behave, you don’t get to move it, so you’ll have to try and do better next time.

The “Helping Around the House” and “Learning” magnets work a little differently. Those aren’t necessarily on an everyday basis, but maybe every other day or so.
He has happily helped put away the utensils from the dishwasher:
I’ve also had him help me separate the laundry, put the clothes in the basket, and load it into the washer. He also helps put his clean clothes away in his drawers. My favorite part of this particular task is that he’s asked “Mom, are there any chores I can help you with?”. Be still my heart.

The “Learning” magnet is exactly that. He’ll be 4 in a few short weeks, so we figured we needed to work on some pre-kindergarten basics. We’ve worked on writing and recognizing letters:
Since Will isn’t much of a color-er, we vary the learning to other things like puzzles, counting & organizing coins or berries, and other hand-eye coordination skills. It’s also a tv-off, quality time activity, too. Bonus points all around.

Once he’s moved the chore magnet to the top, he can take a Skylander magnet out of the bucket and put it in the spikey bubble. 5 Skylanders in the spikey bubbles = a new Skylander!
The Skylander magnets are just Skylander stickers that came with some of the Skylanders he got for Christmas. Major bonus that they were just the right size for these magnets.

I make sure to put the Chore Chart in a prime location:

After a about a week and a half of hard work, Will earned his first reward:
I think he’s excited…

Do you have a Chore Chart for your munchkin? Do you have any ideas for other types of chores a 3 or 4 year old can do? I’d love to hear, and maybe even use them to evolve our Chore Chart. It’s always good to mix things up!

Vroom Room

2013-01-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

This is just a little quickie quick update to what I've been doing in the boys room. The last time I talked about this we were moving Hunter into Jagger's room and converting everyone into a toddler bed. Well after a spontaneous trip to home goods, I walked out with a theme and a better understanding of what I want going on in there. It all started with this beauty I found

If you at all know me, you know I'm terrified of hanging things on the wall. TERRIFIED. So actually buying a piece of "art" and hanging it was a big step. I have a feeling once more things start happening in this room this canvas might get moved to the striped wall...but for now it's amazing that it's just UP.

I also decided to bring the boys car rug and bean bag chairs up into their room, regardless of the protests of my husband. I TOTALLY get that we have a big ol' basement that they can use for their playroom so why clutter their room with toys and such. The answer is simple....because we adults also deserve some space in this house. I find it unfair that we have a teeny space for our computer, I sew at the kitchen table, and we use the ENTIRE basement purely for mass amounts of toys. NO MORE!! Time to SHARE the house....after all....we stress sharing all the time. Why not start with us. So bean bags UPSTAIRS. Besides, it really does make a nice little reading nook and it's great to be able for them to play while I do the laundry or whatever and not have to worry about being 2 floors away from them, fearing that one is poking the other's eye out. It has happened. The poking of the eye...not the actually "out" part....

I also got them some little auto and train throw pillows for their beds. I'm DYING to get 2 twin size big boy beds in here...but see those cribs? Yes they are the convertible kind that you can use as a headboard and foot board and all that jazz. Which is FANTASTIC...but not for someone like me who changes their mind every 2 years. So husband is determined to use them...and I keep stressing that we will store them and in the next house, when they have their own rooms, we will upgrade those twins that I want to full size for them and all will be good so peace be with you. That man takes alot of convincing, and I'm still not there. Not to mention, 2 full size beds will NOT fit in this room. Anyway...I also have to figure out what to do with that center curtain in the car pattern...nix it? Add a panel to the bottom? Maybe switch it with the panels that are above the bean bags? Who knows....but you know it will be 8 months before I get to it. #lazytiredmom.

Happy Thursday y'all!

Outfit Challenge: Pop Pants

2013-01-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

A little bored with your jeans and black/blue/white easy go-to top? Throwing on your Uggs or flip flops a little too easily these days? Us too. But you’re a mom. It’s ok… Or so you keep justifying to yourself. You’ve got 8,000 plates spinning in the air, so let’s add one more. Seriously though, you’ll be SO glad you added this one. And if one or two plates fall, that’s ok because you’ll look amazing while cleaning up those broken plate pieces!

Let me introduce you to our newest addition… The Outfit Challenge!
It started, mostly, because Lani and I tend to buy the same stuff. It doesn’t hurt that we text each other “Hey! Old Navy’s got [fill in the blank] on clearance! Should I get this one [insert text pic]?”. 3,000 miles apart and we are still each other’s shopping companions…

A few fun new pieces in our wardrobe lead to making a bit of an effort to mix up our closet. Reach for the Pop Pants instead of the acid wash jeans… What?! They’re back!
Sorry, that’s one 80’s revival I will not be a part of… But I digress.

We made a little pit-stop on Pinterest to check our Style boards for inspiration:


And since Lani and I have a lot of the same pieces in our wardrobe, we thought it would be fun to see how we style the same pieces. We are currently obsessed with the Pop Pants trend, thus our first challenge. We each own at least 2 pairs. I think Lani might have 3 now… I’m just waiting for Pay Day.

First up is Lani:

Here she is sporting an embellished cap sleeve top from H&M, magenta POP! pants by Mossimo from Target, and cognac spiked heels by Betsy Johnson. (You like my fashion show play-by-play?) Lani tried to push herself to be a bit more daring with color, too. I think she succeeded. She’s not a regular Mom, she’s a cool mom! (name that movie!)

And we have to get a close up of those shoes because I need something spikey in my life:
Adorable, right?! Studs on a bow is like the peanut butter to my jelly.

I took a bit of a different approach:

Earrings are from Target, red plaid scarf from Old Navy (men’s section), heathered chocolate cardigan Merona from Target, white blousy top from my sister’s closet, rope and leather belt from Target, red POP! Pants from Old Navy, Rickki tan boots from madden girl.

I am digging neutrals with a pop of color, right now. I also LOVE layers, and these boots. I practically live in these boots because they are flat and just so dang comfy. Oh! and my other new favorite accessory… LIPS! I splurged and picked up MAC Viva Glam matte red lipstick with the red enriched cremestick liner. I die! It is so smooth and goes on like buttah! It is a great red, not too orangey or pinky. And it lasts a crazy long time. I eat and drink while wearing it and maybe touch up once throughout the day. Yes, $15 for lipstick and $15 for lip liner is steep, but it wears so well and I always get compliments on it. Of course the compliments make the $30 price tag a little easier to swallow. Every girl deserves a treat like this now and then.

So what is your favorite outfit? or accessory? Maybe it’s a pair of boots you can’t live without?! Share with us! We’d love to see!
Post your pics on our Facebook wall or send us a shout out on Twitter!
We’d love to see how you style your pop pants and maybe we’ll share our favorites in a post! Let’s all get out of the Mom Jeans rut and turn in to the MILFs we are!

chuRROS

2013-01-14T09:53:00.001-08:00

Odd looking, but still totally delicious!

One of our neighbors and good friends threw a Mexican fiesta over the holidays, and I was charged with bringing dessert. There is almost nothing that I would rather have for a Mexican desert than churros….trust me that’s where my money goes when I’m at Disneyland! But since the Magic Kingdom is nowhere near New Jersey and I’m not totally willing to spend $3.50 a pop to feed a crowd (myself maybe…but not others. I need to work on sharing…), I thought I’d try my hand at making them. I used this recipe here and it was so simple and SO easy. The only thing I might change is to get a larger star tip, as mine was a bit wimpy and they came out looking a little wormy. Still, these were so worth the effort and are definitely going to be a staple in my quick comfort food arsenal!

Nate Berkus Knows Best

2013-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

With all the Holiday hubbub (bub) I have failed to post the progress on my master bath. Yes, yes, yes....extremely SLOW progress....but progress none the less. Remember, we are a budget fearing family here, and I gots to do it at a certain pace!

SO here was our window before. We've had a paper shade on it since we moved in, and after removing said shade we realized that we are basically flashing the world with a now naked window. I took the initiative to frost that sucker and it worked out beyond swimmingly!! Of course in true Lani fashion I took no pics of the process. You know, it's really hard to get pics of you doing something when you are doing it on the fly, and all by your lonesome. Lucky ladies out there that have husbands that enjoy DIY.....

Anyway, so window treatments were definitely in order. I ordered this fabric which I thought would tie in all the colors I eventually want for this bathroom (I plan for the cabinets to go gray at some point...maybe new countertop too). Unfortunately, I am REALLY not good at math and ordered too little, so the curtain came up short. Oh, and BTW, all I did was cut to fit the window, and hem the 4 sides. I could have no sewed hem taped them as I've done before with other curtains...but the sewing machine was out and I may as well and yada yada Lani likes to do things the hard way.

Because I wanted to use what I had already purchased, I (and Heather after many text pictures) decided that doing some sort of faux roman shade look would be best. After debating how to go about this....we both thought that going the route of the all mighty design god, Nate Berkus, would be our best bet and add some grosgrain ribbon.

Ok wait let's get serious here. Why did they cancel his show?? I mean, he seriously had the best set on TV, he totally recognized us everyday designers and the blogging community, and yeah he was kinda annoying and his smile is cheesy, and he says "I love that, don't you love that, I love that!" a whole lot....but he was GOOOOOD. I mean...to replace him with Steve Harvey? Really? Even if I was a stay at home mom still....I don't think I would watch that show. I'm just not interested in what Steve has to say.....I'm far more interested in grosgrain.

SO I DIGRESS...and in doing so I say that NB was spot on. All I did was loop the ribbon up and around the curtain to create a faux swaggish look. Yes I said swaggish. It's a word. Then I just tucked the knot on the other side of the fabric so it looks like its all cohesive. No one will be the wiser! Shhhhh....

Heather and I also decided that the 3 ribbon approach looked better than the 2. As you can see....I really can't make solid decisions without a second opinion from my girl. That's just the way the faux roman swags....

So there's my little quicky fixy for a cute shade for your bathroom! It's so cute I cant stand it. I get all verklempt. Next up is a fun little storage idea for over the toilette (it sounds fancier like that....toilette) which I have all the supplies for, it's just a matter of DOING.

Peace on earth and good will towards men,

Tickle My Pickle

2013-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

You got my pickle? I got your pickle! Get your minds out of the gutter… It’s time to talk pickles…

Since I have a few canning adventures under my belt now (apple butter, grape jam, refried beans), I figured it was time to give pickles a whirl. I love a good pickle, almost as much as I love bacon, so it’s about time I learned to make my own. As usual, my favorite canning book, Canning For A New Generation by Liana Krisoff was a great jumping off point. I can’t follow directions blindly, so I added some extra spice to the recipe on one of the pints to see how much better it would be.

As usual, Liana gives great tips, like pasteurizing (heating the jars in water at 180 degrees for 30 minutes) rather than processing in boiling water for a shorter period means you’ll end up with crispier pickles.

Honeyed Bread and Butter Pickles with a Kick
makes 3 pint jars

Ingredients
1.5 lbs pickling cucumbers (3 to 4” long), cut into 1/4” rounds
1 small onion, thinly sliced into half circles
1/8 cup plus 1.5 tsp pure kosher salt
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1.5 tsp celery seeds
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
3/8 cup honey
3/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp dry mustard powder

Directions
Put the cucumbers & onions in a large bowl & toss with 1/8 cup salt. Cover with a layer of
ice cubes and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Pick out unmelted ice, drain well, and rinse under cold running water. Toss with mustard seeds, celery seeds, and red pepper flakes.
Set aside.

In a nonreactive pot, combine vinegar, 3/4 cup water, honey, turmeric, mustard powder, and remaining 1.5 tsp salt. If pasteurizing, bring the mixture to 160-180 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Carefully pack the cucumbers and onions into prepared jars (not too tightly). Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving 1/2” headspace at the top. Use a chopstick to remove air bubbles around the inside of each jar. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims
of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on
each jar until its finger tight.

Pasteurize the jars in the canning pot – water in the pot at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each flat lid. If you can push down the center, the jar didn’t seal and it should be refrigerated immediately. Ta-Da! You’re done!

These didn’t last very long in our house… Next time I’ll probably double the recipe so I have some to share. And maybe add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes for some extra heat.

2012 In Review

2013-01-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well kids, here we are at the beginning of 2013. It is utterly mind bottling how fast time flies, but even more so when you're chasing crazy lunatics around your house. Let's kick off 2013 with a quick look at the awesomeness we created in 2012. It's always a good motivator to see that you did more than just sit on the couch, watching Friends re-runs, eating Cheetos.

Here we go:

In JANUARY, we both started Etsy shops.

Lani has LEMON SQUEEZIES:

Super cute, right?! From bow ties to capes, she's got you covered! I don't know about you, but I need a turban headband for the days when my bangs need some taming.

An then there's PAPER MONKEY:

Need a cute paper banner or book page apple to spruce up your decor? Check it out! The paper flower clips are great for a little girl's hair, or your blazer's lapel.

FEBRUARY it was time to get our butts in gear:

Lani started her Master Bedroom makeover with a coat of paint on the walls.

And I did a little refreshing of our Living Room throw pillows by making a few new pillow covers:

MARCH

A pretty little organizer happened:

APRIL

Lani threw Jagger a very colorful birthday party:

And we made Will an Iron Man trike for his birthday:

MAY

I tackled a friend's living room wall with a picture frame collage. I think it's my favorite one I've done.

JUNE

We got painty with a new wall color in the living room:

And Lani got crafty with some adorable teacher's gifts for the end of the school year:

JULY

Lani got down to the nitty gritty and tiled her Master Bathroom floor:

You can check out the process here, here, here, and here.

AUGUST was a big month for us. Lani and I both went back to work full time. Talk about a big adjustment for us and our families and our DIY schedules. HA! But the day before I started my new job, I decided to paint my Master Bathroom:

And Lani's Master Bedroom revamp kept on truckin' with this fab rug upgrade:

SEPTEMBER was a time for more Master Bedroom and Bathroom upgrades. Check out Lani's progress:
A little Martha Stewart Garbadine goes a long way:

And some painted drapes in the Master Bedroom:

OCTOBER was a busy month, and maybe a little too busy because we didn't have much going on over here on the blog-front. We did have our first trip to the ER for a broken finger:

You can definitely count on us to keep it real around here. First trip to the ER, first cavity fillings (yes, PLURAL fillingS), and 1st day at preschool. Talk about a traumatic parenting month...

NOVEMBER
We got a lesson in accessorizing:

I tackled another subway art:

And painted my kitchen...again:

DECEMBER was very merry for us from a Pottery Barn NOEL sign knock-off:

To a super adorable Hot Chocolate Bar:

And we finished up the year with a yarn pom wreath:

You can definitely expect more awesome projects from us! Happy New Year!

XOXO,

Chill @ Queen Mary

2012-12-29T16:59:00.001-08:00

My sister surprised us with a trip to Long Beach to check out Chill a few days before Christmas.
First of all… Brrrrrrrrr!

After cruising around outside, we walked into the dome where the Spruce Goose used to be to check out The Ice Kingdom. 13,000 square feet of stuff make out of ice. And you better be wearing a parka because it’s 9 degrees. NINE!

Look at that Rudolph nose and rosy cheeks! That’s not Photoshop! It’s dang cold in here!

Thank goodness we didn’t get to find out if his tongue would stick to the ice…

Towards the end of the icy dome tour, Will was at the end of his rope with the coldness. We went back out, ditched the parkas, and did a little Ice Tubing. I couldn’t get a good pic of the 2 story tall, 100 feet long slide made of ice… but Will can show you that it wasn’t fun at all…

Then we headed outside where they had an ice rink set up right in front of the Queen Mary.

Ice skates for everyone! They were really cool because the straps were like roller blade straps. Awesomesauce! Now… back in the 90s, I was quite the roller-blader, so ice skating is a pretty easy transition. I know… you can’t even begin to wrap your head around how cool I am.

That’s my dad out there on skates! He did pretty good! He just needs to bend his knees. Ha! My sister and I are clowns… clearly.

Despite Hubby’s reservations about ice skating, especially since our crazy child just had staples removed from his noggin, no one fell! Hubby has only been ice skating one other time in his life… with me! Ha Ha! We went on a date to the Disney Skating Rink, but that was 8 or 9 years ago. Yikes!

We all had a blast! They even offer free admission aboard The Queen Mary! Too cool! Chill runs until January 6th, so you better hurry your booty over there, so you can freeze it off!

**We didn’t get any perks from The Chill or any of their affiliates. This was a trip we took all on our own and my opinions are mine… all mine!**

Yarn Pom Wreath

2012-12-05T23:01:00.001-08:00

I got a wild hair up me bum (Yes, I just became English. What?) to make a bunch of yarn poms while watching Michonne kick some may-jah zombie bum on The Walking Dead. I had a bunch of yarn that I’ve accumulated since, Oh, I don’t know… middle school?! Ridiculous. So I grabbed some colors I thought would work well together and just started wrapping and cutting. And then I wrapped and cut some more. And then some more.

Should I make a garland or a wreath or stick them in a few mason jars…? I wasn’t quite sure. My decision was made when I was putting some random junk away and found a naked wreath form. Ding-Ding-Ding! Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, folks. This is what we call a work-what-you-got craft for a whopping $0 cost.

I grabbed some supplies:

Yarn poms, wreath form, hot glue gun, extra glue sticks. Booya Grandma.

After debating on whether to group the colors together or do it haphazard, I decided I needed to just start it and see what happens…

It seemed like the best course of action was to just layer in each color. I started with the red and dark red since it is supposed to be Christmas-y, so I figured those colors should be the most dominant. I had ended up using the rest of the skein of dark red yarn to help fill out the red some more. I didn’t start off with whole skeins, but I ended up using up what I had left of every color on my wreath. Talk about using up what I’ve got!

65 poms later, it was done!
Pretty cute, right? I’m a sucker for mindless crafts that you can do while you catch up on your dvr. This is totally one of those projects and came out so stinkin’ cute! I opted for red, dark red, teal, navy, yellow, and white, mostly because it’s what I had on hand and it was Christmas-y enough. The nice thing is that it will lend itself to everyday use or I can add some fun embellishments to transform it for different occasions, too.

I toyed with the idea of adding a bow, but it was competing with the poms too much, and Hubby said no. So… decision made! Sometimes husbands are right… sometimes.

Hot chocolate bar

2012-12-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Being that we don’t have a mantle in our house I always like to dress up our little areas with something a little different and fun. Last year I did a drink station in our dining room (you can read more on that here)

This year I decided to do the same-ish concept but make it a little more kid friendly. We are still having our annual Santa Party and this little Hot Chocolate Bar will be awesome for kids and grownups alike!

Notice I still have yet to paint that little dresser of goodness. Next year. I swear it.

I want the theme of my house to be a bit modern and a bit rustic. I paired my burlap trees that I made last year (here) with some shiny red ornaments and one of my felt poinsettias…also crafted last year (here). The bar got filled with all kinds of good fixin’s for hot chocolate like candy canes, peppermint marshmallows, and cookies for dippin’ and stirrin’.

I just used whatever I had on hand, and ball jars truly do work for freaking everything don’t they?

And you really can’t have a hot chocolate bar without hot chocolate right? This is homemade and AWESOME…easy peasy recipe to come soon!

There we have my little bar! If you’re cold and need a lift, come on over and I’ll have a cup of cocoa all ready for you! If you’re good…you might get a little Schnapps in there too !

Holiday Craft: NOEL

2012-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

It all began with Pottery Barn. A couple years ago I came across this crazy awesome NOEL sign in their Christmas décor. I died. I died again when I saw the price… $149?! WAY out of my price range, especially for something I’m going to have up for a month. Ouch.

Of course it was time to make one of my own. In true DIY-ness, it’s a fraction of the cost.

I made a trip to Joann’s and picked up some “fancy” wood letters. With my coupons in hand, the letters were even cheaper than advertised.

I had the chalkboard paint from another project or two, so that was free. I love having some chalkboard paint in my DIY arsenal because then it becomes part of the array of possibilities when I feel like randomly painting something… Do I paint it white, red, green, gold, or chalkboard it? So many choices!

I’ve had this little can of paint for a while now, I’ve used it for a few projects now, and even having to put 2-3 coats of paint on each project, it’s still over half full. Yes… I’m a half-full kind of gal.

After 2 coats, I was done with the paint part. I let them sit for a few hours to make sure the paint cured up and tried to keep a nosey 3.5 year old away from my project… Oh, did you notice my Flat Rate Mailing Boxes under there? They’ve been very handy as splatter boards for spraying and brush painting. Yay free stuff!

After the paint was dry, you have to “condition” the chalkboard paint by doing a quick rub all over and then wipe it off. It helps get rid of that crisp black look too.

I was debating on how to fasten the letters together and then hang it… so Hubby stepped in and came up with these little helpers:

Picture hangers! We had a bunch of them and they held the letters together while giving me an easy means for actually hanging it on the wall. Win-win!

Easy Peasy! This little sign was done and hung!

Then I decided to give it a little chalk shading and make it pop a little more against the wall:
Ta Da!
Ok. One more glamor shot.

Even our Elf on the Shelf, Iron Man, found a home there this week:
Yes… our elf is named Iron Man. I tried for at least Tony Stark, but no dice. Will loves Iron Man. There’s no way around it…

I love it. It’s so cheery above my kitchen sink. I love that I can change it up and maybe do a little bit of candy cane stripes on there, or little stick figure people or who knows!

Have you made any fun new holiday decorations? Or did a cool knock off of something you love but is way over priced? Share! Share! We love to see those fun crafty DIY things!

Good Tidying I Bring..

2012-11-19T06:25:00.001-08:00

Ever year around this time, I get clean frantic. It’s like spring cleaning, but mine comes in winter. Maybe it’s because I’m spending more time in doors since it's below freezing out, or maybe its because when I just want to curl up on the couch it takes me an hour to clear off the books and toys, find a blanket, find my pillows that have been thrown everywhere, and then I’m just tired and want to go to bed.
So, since I have a few days off now without kids (yes I take them to school/daycare on my days off….how else would I get anything done?), I’ve decided to tidy ONE small area of my house at a time. Not rooms, not whole closets….one, measly thing. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but with my time, energy, and lack of ability to finish large tasks in one day because I keep getting sidetracked with little details…ONE small area works for me. So my last day off was the dresser in our master bedroom. Not the drawers…just the top. This is what it looked like before I began:

Ugh its so ugly. And it’s been like this for, well, ever. Sometimes it gets neat and sometimes its worse than others…but overall it usually look like this. Love that I have Hunters “sick” cup just sitting there….hasn’t been sick for at least a week…

Ugly alarm clock. I know Craig doesn’t think it’s that bad, but guess what’s going to be in his stocking for Christmas?? Oh! Just what I’ve always wanted!! And then we have random knick knacks that actually have meaning to us but we aren't displaying them like we should. Bad Lani….
More random crap….
Not random crap…but why aren’t these pics in frames? Oh…because I am a slacker. I admit it now. Hi, my name is Lani, and I’m a design slacker.
And ugly phone. We never use this phone. I don’t even know if this phone works. If anyone were to call us in the middle of the night they would call my cell. So why do I have this phone in my room….

So, after clearing off the dresser, giving her a good rub down and dusting, shopping my house, arranging and rearranging, and of course, using the power of pix messaging to get Heather’s opinion…It now looks like this!

Hooray! It’s neat, it’s sort of asymmetrically balanced, it’s not as offensive to the eyes, to say the least! I plan on adding a mirror above the tray and perhaps some kind of collage effect to the rest. And I’m sure this will change like every month….but for now I’m really enjoying the neatness.
These vases were a snag at Target! I think the large was $6 and the medium was $5. They were part of this whole equestrian themed display and I just fell for the stud detail on them! Then I placed the “brick” with mine and Craig’s name and anniversary on it front and center. It was hidden behind the ugly alarm clock. The brick is one of those places outside Disneyland and this little acrylic piece is a copy of what it looks like. Craig bought the brick as a wedding present since we were married at the Disneyland Hotel. And why was this not displayed properly before? (see slacker note above)

I grabbed this tray from downstairs, and I’ll probably change the fabric that’s below the glass. I finally framed one of the pics that were laying around, and displayed my new gold bowl and white urchin from the Nate Berkus collection at Target. Hello Nate Berkus….welcome to my bedroom.
I’m loving how clean and simple it looks and am really just glad that the dresser is clear. Now that I have a day off today…I’m finding another little thing to clean off before I start my frantic clean-for-Thanksgiving-so-none-of-your-guests-think-you’re-a-hoarder spree! Yay!

Good-Bye Blues

2012-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I painted our kitchen the first time, I wasn’t quite sure about the color. It was bright and cheery, but it didn’t quite go with our vibe. Then we painted this corner hutch, and the blue walls slapped me in the face every time I went in the kitchen. When our living room became a lovely shade of Bay Leaf green, it was crazy-clear that the kitchen needed a fresh less-clashy coat of paint. Here’s a quick reminder of how it looked before:
Not quite the slate blue-grey I was going for…

So a day or two before I started my new job, I figured the best way to blow off some stress-steam was to paint the kitchen. Totally normal, right? After I taped everything off, and Will was busy watching a movie, I got this solo painting party started:

Buh-bye blue! Hello Driftwood Grey! Yes, I used the same Driftwood Grey I used in our Master Bath.

This color goes on like buttah. Love it. Thank you Martha Stewart!
So on with the painting…
It’s already looking better with my corner hutch cabinet.

Ok. Enough with the progress shots. Here’s some before and afters:

Before After

And here’s my cute little fall centerpiece:

Will thoroughly enjoyed my apple-pumpkin snowman, and then he dismantled it and took a bite out of the apple. Centerpiece meets healthy snack? Sure… why not?!

What are you painting?

Wood Subway Art–Round Deux

2012-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I’m going to continue catching you up on how much of a slacker I am… Next in the series of Slacktastic Fun is the subway art I made for my mom. It’s terrible to admit that this was almost a year in the making (I talked about it in my New Year’s Resolutions…). A YEAR! Ridiculous. I had thought I’ll make it for Mother’s Day, and then that came and went. Then I thought I’ll make it for her birthday… and I kind of did. I was just a month, or two late. #WorstDaughterEver

Anyways… back to brass tacks. My mom loved the one I made for Hubby for our anniversary. Who are we kidding? It was basically for me, but I disguised it as a gift for him.
[insert evil laugh here]
So I figured I’d take a cue from the one I’ve already made, but make it different. Makes total sense, right?

I followed the same basic principles as I did when I created my version. I used the same wood and varied plank widths, I just had the nice gents at Home Depot cut them down to a different size. After measuring the spot where the subway art would live, I figured it should be 30”w x 42”h.

I followed the same steps I did before. I sanded each plank and added some irregularity to them by rounding some corners and creating a few waves.

I assembled the planks using 1x2s on the back and lots of screws.

The wood is soft, so to make sure each plank was secure, I busted out the hand-screwdriver, too.

Next it was time to stain.

I used the same Minwax English Chestnut that I used on mine. I’m sure it will be popping up in random projects for a while since I still have at least half of that little tiny can left. It’s a great color and turns this bland white wood into something spectacular.

Then it was time to bust out my Cricut and cut some vinyl letters. I used white Contact Paper (aka shelf liner) that I cut into 12” x 12” sheets and fed through my Cricut. And then it was time to play the arranging game:

I had a list of 10-12 things that I wanted to make sure were included on the overall board. I began by cutting out some of them and laying them out to check size and shape. Then other little things started to evolve, like using the “a” at the end of Arizona as the “a” in Utah, too, like a crossword puzzle.
And then it evolved some more:

Some of the things stayed where they were, while others got resized and revamped. It’s definitely a puzzle that you have to work with until it eventually just fits. Very much like the picture frame collages I’ve done, too. (If you’re interested in those, you can check them out here, here, and here.)

Originally, I thought I would put the lettering on the wood and paint the whole piece one color, and then peel off the letters to reveal the dark rich wood tone underneath a la Lani’s Canvas Subway Art. But first, I wanted to see it on the mantel because I wasn’t 100% sure what overall color I should paint it.

Once I saw it on the mantel, I wasn’t sure I wanted paint it. The wood tone broke up the taupey grey walls and tied in with the furniture… After talking to my sister and texting a pic to Lani, it was decided to just leave it as is. I took it outside and put on 3 coats of clear sealant on to make triple-sure that the vinyl letters stayed attached. In between coats, I came back inside and started installing the wall hanging bracket. By the time the 3rd coat of sealant went on and was dry, all I had to do was slap it on the wall. And then I did a little re-accessorizing while I was at it because I can’t leave well enough alone.

Pretty awesome, right?! I love that it’s pretty clean and simple with a little rustic thrown in. My mom is over the moon for it. I’m just sad that it took me so dang long to get my butt in gear and do it.

What have you finally crossed off your To-Do list? Have you lagged on doing something for your mom? Have you created your own version of the subway-art craze?

Camping

2012-11-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

Camping is not my thing, or at least I didn’t think so. But Hubby loves it and has been talking about taking Will since he’s the ripe old age of 3 and would probably love it, too. So I scoured the internet for some of the beginner’s supplies.

I ended up at good ol’ Target getting these little camping nuggets of joy:
Coleman Ara 6-Person Tent – $69.00 (Originally $100.99 but I found a 15% off promo code + 5% discount for using my Target Debit Card. WOOT!)
Coleman Palmetto Cool Weather Sleeping Bags (2) – $28.21 each
Kids Embark Sleeping Bag (1) – $16.99

Just under $125 out the door. Not too bad for beginners! It was a good deal and doubled as Hubby’s birthday present (yes, this is a post I’ve been meaning to do since the end of July… Don’t judge. Ok. Judge away…). Our community was hosting a Campout at a local park, so we thought this would be a great introduction into camping for our little wilderness man (and his not-so-wilderness-y Mom). This event was awesome and couldn’t have been more perfect!

We arrived ready to work… Slurpees in-hand.

Our tent went up pretty easily, considering it was fresh out of the box. Hubby is an experienced camper, so my helping was less than helpful, at least for this first time around.

There were some parents that probably needed to go to marriage counseling afterwards, including one family that blew up an air mattress in a too-small-for-it tent. And yes, I walked by nonchalantly several times to see that they are actually continuing to blow that thing up in there. Hilarious.

They had tons of activities for everyone. We played catch with those Velcro paddle thingys:

Made lots of friends with all of the kids:

Will hopped along in his very first Potato Sack Race:

And a 3 Legged Race

Our small entrance fee included food for dinner

We ate lots of pizza, veggies, fruit, chips, and a soda to drink. mmmm…Cheetos.

When the sun went down, they busted out the bonfire pits and we sang campfire songs & roasted marshmallows. You know, all of the obligatory camping fare.

We brought our own s’mores supplies, so we got to have more than just the one ooey gooey marshmallow.

A little self portrait to prove I was there, too. Will is listening intently as one of the community leaders tells a spooky campfire story.

And then it was nighty night. After a very busy day, he was out like a light. #TheBestKindofDays
We slept like logs and were up pretty early. I’m finding out that that’s the case when you’re camping.

We are definitely looking forward to doing it next summer. If you’re in the south Orange County area, you should check it out, too! This little experience sparked a camping bug in our family. We love it! And surprisingly, I love it! This city gal loves the outdoors. Who knew?!

Do you have any favorite camping recipes or activities? I’d love to hear them because we’re getting ready to go camping again, and this time it’s more than just one night! Woohoo!

Twist and Shout

2012-11-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Even though Halloween is moved to Monday here in New Jersey (by government mandate don't EVEN get me started on how crazy I think it is), the boys got to wear their costumes on Friday at school for their little Halloween parade. OMG if it wasn't the most hilarious thing ever. Basically all the parents line the walls of the entire school while the kids come around "Trick or Treating." It's more of a "hold their treat bags out with terrified looks, while parents try and drop candy in them." The best was one girl, instead of saying trick or treat, held her bag out and yelled "Please and Thank You!" Awesome.

{Not positive why they put hunter's hood up...but I guess it made him look a bit more "costumey"}

This year's costumes were AMAZING for me, because the boys chose the easiest thing possible for me to make. They wanted to be Twist and Shout from the Fresh Beat Band. Here's a little look in case you are unfamiliar:

Hello! Hoodies for all, with a little decal work? Done. Sold for the mom who can't even find time to wash her hair half the time. I rushed to finish on Sunday night, fearing Hurricane Sandy would take my power away from me for a few days. So even though we were very, very, VERY, fortunate to not have been affected as much as was planned for, it was a relief to have the boys' hoodies done early.

It was a fun little day, and thanks to Poppy for taking all the great pictures! I can't wait until tonight to continue the Halloween celebration a little bit more! HA!

PS: My heart goes out to all those affected by Sandy. I know and visit many of the shore towns that are in dire need of help here on the Jersey Shore, and although I am a Cali girl at heart, I have grown to love this state. Please do just a little to help out the victims here....a little bit will add up to a whole lot. If you want to do something to show your support, you can go to a friend of mine's Etsy shop where she has designed a shirt to help the restore the shore. All proceeds go to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

SANDY???

2012-10-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Tell me about it....stud...

Yup...I've got chills...they're multiplying Because of this dang hurricane!!! How unbelievable is it that 2 hurricanes make land fall in NJ 2 years in a row? Last year I felt like I was ultra over prepared with my kit and everything...ready for anything..

This year this hurricane is supposed to basically take a direct left turn into New Jersey and hit us hard..and what am I doing to prep? Laundry and baking muffins. What...isn't that what you're supposed to do? Just in case our power goes out I want to make sure everyone has clean underwear and fresh baked goods. I'm happy with that...

{My owl-ys getting their bake on}

{pumpkin muffins}

So I'm home today with the boys as their school got closed, living the SAHM life again. Some creativity may explode and Ish may get done because I basically have a whole extra day at home...but no promises will be made as I am horrible at keeping them. Hope everyone affected is safe and happy and prepared...and if you're insane like I am...happy puddle jumping as well.

Recipe: Baby Back Ribs

2012-10-15T12:56:00.001-07:00

I’m a big baby back rib fan. BIG. HUGE! And we are BBQ lovers in general around here. So when I see a brisket or a rump roast or a rack of ribs on sale, I try to snag them up. The catch of the day was baby backs. Yum! I’ve tried a few recipes now, and so far my favorite was good ol’ TyFlo’s that I shared with you last year. It was time to try something a little different. How about Alton Brown’s Who Loves Ya Baby-Back? Sure! And I love a chance to make a rub, wet or dry, and make extra to use for something random later when a boring old chicken breast needs a little pizzazz.

I will forewarn you that this recipe is only time consuming because of the cooking time. Ribs are best when cooked low and slow. However, that’s the only time consuming part. The time spent actually touching the food is very minimal. This is a great Sunday dinner meal where you can just hang out at home, watching a little footyball and wandering into the kitchen every hour or so to move something & you’re done. These are my favorite kind of recipes! Low maintenance and minimal dishes! Score!

Oh, and this recipe has an inadvertent Heather twist because I didn’t have the jalapeno seasoning for the dry rub. It’s still just as tasty, and probably took out some of the spicy factor by omitting the jalapeno seasoning… which is good when you cook like me – One meal for the whole family.

Alton Brown’s Who Loves Ya Baby-Back? Ribs

with a Heather Twist

Ingredients
2 slabs of baby back ribs

Dry Rub Ingredients
8 tablespoons brown sugar, tightly packed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

That’s it! Slice them up and serve! Can you see how excited this crazy dude is to eat? And as you can see, I made my life even easier by making Kraft Mac n’ Cheese spirals as a side. Delicious Lazy Sunday dinner… Check!

For The Kiddos: $1 Bin Painting

2012-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Ack! Time to catch you up on all of our fabulous doings since we’ve been blog-slacking. I picked up a few of these little birdhouses in the $1 bin at Joann’s. Will isn’t big on coloring, so I figured I’d give painting a whirl…

I thought it would be doubly fun to do when Will’s cousin, Ashley, stayed with us for a weekend while she was out of school. An activity that a 3 year old and a 16 year old both enjoy? SCORE!

I covered the table with newspaper, grabbed some paper plates, brushes, red Solo cups with a little water for paint color changes, and a bunch of random paint.
We got a little on our hands…

We watched, mouth agape, as we swirled our paint brushes in a cup of water to change colors… or just mix all of them together to see what happened. Will learned that his two favorite colors, red and yellow [aka Iron Man’s colors], make orange when mixed together.

We “awww”ed at cut little baby hands swiping paint on the little birdhouse… Maybe it was just me because those little sausage fingers and dimples are just so cute!,

Meanwhile, Ashley was elegantly painting her birdhouse. This is a girl with a plan, … and an iPhone just in case she misses a text.

Intense! I highly approved of the colors she picked. It would blend right in with my house.

When all was said and done, Ashley produced this masterpiece:

And Will produced this colorful conundrum fit for a king, or a pigeon:

Not bad for $2! It took a little over an hour, start to finish. Obviously Will lost interest faster than Ashley did, but he’s also not as crafty as she is. He’d rather go Hulk-smash something. I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled in those $1 bins for fun little activities like this we can all do. You never know when creativity, or a good deal, will strike! This would be a fun little party activity turned party-favor if you’re planning on doing a bird themed party. Or do it as a baby shower activity, and the mom-to-be can take them home for a cool mobile or hanging collage!

Do you have a favorite $1 bin find? Or maybe a fun little activity you like to do with your kiddos? Do share! We love a fun [and cheap] good time!

Firsts

2012-10-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

When your kiddos graduate from being an infant to a toddler and then into a real human child that talks back to you and has an opinion, you think the firsts are over. You would be wrong. Sometimes they aren’t all rainbows and unicorns… But they are still pretty big milestones, nonetheless, and I would be really sad if I wasn’t there for most of them. I could’ve stayed home for some.
Sit back, relax, because you just might learn something!

First trip to the dentist. Tip #1 – don’t wait until after your child’s 3rd birthday to go… Dentists want you to take your kiddo when they first start getting teeth for a good reason… We brush Will’s teeth pretty regularly, but who knew you should be flossing a wiggly toddler’s teeth?! Not us! Guess who he had SEVEN cavities?! Shameful… #ParentFail

If you are in the South Orange County area, take your kids to see Dr. Sarah! They have a crazy cool office:
That’s the waiting room! There’s a giant tree and a tiger and TONS of video games and regular games and toys to keep these kids busy. She’s the dentist and her husband is the orthodontist. One stop shop! Love it. The staff has been so great.

1st x-rays… of the teeth. These are so cool and digital now. She pushed the button and we could see his teeth right away. He sat pretty still considering I know how uncomfortable that thing is to hold in your mouth. Ouch!

That first dentist appointment was followed by two cavity filling visits. First Cavity(ies) definitely falls on the list of firsts I could’ve stayed home for…
They have the kids wear sunglasses during their exams and procedures because the light in your face is kind of bright. But HELLO! How fun is that?! The little pink nozzle for his laughing gas was bubble gum flavored. Will was cool as a cucumber since he got to lay there and watch Cars. Oh yeah, they have TVs mounted to the ceiling so the kids sit even more still during their exams! Will got to pick the movie that played for the whole office. I really wish Dr. Sarah treated adults.

But lesson learned in the teeth-care department. Brushing isn’t enough, especially if your kiddos’ teeth are really close together. Will only had 1 cavity we could see, the rest only showed up because she did the x-rays. They were all in between his teeth. So now we get at least two brushings in (morning & before bed), plus flossing with these little picks, and mouthwash. The mouthwash was tricky, but he’s got it down now. We’ve also toned down the fruit snacks, fruit leathers, and apple juice a lot. All of those are major cavity culprits. If there was something else we could’ve been doing wrong, we probably were… Definite repeat offenders on the cavity-causing list.

On a happier note…
First Day Of Preschool:

We are lucky enough to be able to walk to school, so we do…
Up hill, both ways, in the snow…

First trip to the Emergency Room:

I know… looks are definitely deceiving. This happy kid is actually sitting in an ER exam room. That visit was quickly followed by another first…
First broken bone.
See that split down the middle of the top bone in his middle finger? Yep. Broken.

So he gets to wear a comically large splint on his finger for 3 weeks. We are about half way through that time frame. Thankfully I can take it off and re-wrap his finger, but even after a day, that finger get so smelly! I cannot imagine how rank a cast will be. Oh yes, not that I’m trying to curse my kid, but I have a feeling that this will be the 1st of many broken bones or body parts in casts or braces or some kind of wraps. He’s just too crazy!

There you have it. Some pretty expensive firsts happening in our house over the last few weeks! It’s all part of the grand scheme of life, though. Definitely lots of entries into his baby book, too.

I had a broken finger in elementary school so when Will’s finger was getting more swollen and more black & blue, I knew it was probably broken, but that’s the only thing I’ve ever broken. Hubby, surprisingly for how crazy he was, has never broken a bone. A broken bone doesn’t always mean you’ll be screaming and flailing around in pain… now if bone is sticking out through your skin… ew.

Have your kids gotten any broken bones? Or busted teeth? Maybe that was you when you were a kid and you’re scared of your kid being your payback?

Pumpkin in a Half Shell

2012-09-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

It all starts with a Pin. I’m trying to bridge the gap between pinning a billion ideas I don’t have time to make and actually making the stuff I’ve pinned… trying being the key word…
Call me crazy, but I’m also trying to actually peruse through and quite possibly read the plethora of magazines I get delivered to my house every month. They pile up and I don’t read them and Hubby gets rather annoyed by it. Ha! The good thing is that my favorite time of year is upon us, which means I really like all of the warm and cozy articles in the the latest issues arriving to mi casa!
I got pinspired by a little morsel of fun in a recent Rachael Ray magazine:

In the effort of time and simplicity, I thought I would strip this incredibly cute idea down to it’s basic principle…
I picked up some materials at Joann’s:
- Wood slice - ($9.99 + 40% off coupon = $5.99)
- Decorative pumpkin made of Styrofoam = $4.99

Plus the stuff I already had:
- hot glue gun
- foam hot glue sticks
- steak knife

Use the steak knife to cut the pumpkin in half. I picked a pumpkin with a little more character, instead of the run of the mill orange. I liked the multicolored look. I can always paint it down the road… or bedazzle it, or draw a face on it, glitter it… oh the possibilities!

I attached a d-ring hanger to the back of the plaque. I grabbed a couple of different length screws to make sure I got one that wasn’t too deep. The teeny one did the trick. Hang it on the wall.

Badabingbadaboom! Pretty cute, right?

Here it is happily hanging above the sink in my kitchen.

Not too shabby for a 5 minute craft. It took me and Will longer to find the right sized pumpkin and wood plaque than it did to put together! You could make a collage of them on the wall with other a gourd variety! Line them up down the hall wall! Paint them metallic copper and let the rustic wood plaque stand out. So much fun! I’m thinking I’ll grow this little gourd collection every year, and by then we’ll have a bigger place to display a collage on a dining room wall or something fancy.