Momster

Simple Parenting

2017-11-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

My favorite items and tips to make parenting simple. Bring it back to the old days in the shade. Our houses weren't overrun with artificially dyed foods and toys, plastics and microwaves, and we were better off for it. I feel that our children can benefit from that lifestyle and it also helps ease the second-to-second rush that rule our lives. These are a few of my favorite products for baby #2.

1. Read more. Of course there are some parenting styles or practices even in the best books, that just won't gel with yours. So pick the ones that work, and leave the rest. Never feel that there is one "right" way to do anything, let alone parent a child. It is a constant journey of self discovery and trial-and-error, but just the fact that you are seeking ways to improve on parenting, shows how much you care about the development and well-being of your child. Kudos! Some great books on simple parenting: Trees Make the Best Mobiles and The Happiest Baby on the Block

2. Learn what your baby needs: A great system for this is the Dunstan Baby Language System. It teaches how to understand the five cries your baby uses to tell you what they need. This is the most amazing discovery EVER and it truly helps eliminate frustration especially in those early months when you and baby are still getting to know one another.

Dunstan Baby Language -- Learn the universal language of newborn babies

3. Music-Rockabye Baby: I was thoughtfully given this as a gift when we first found out we were pregnant, by one of our really good couple-friends. MY husband is in a band (The Mission Veo) so it goes without mention that we are rather interested in music. This lovely couple purchased the compilation CD of instrumental versions of favorite rock songs. It is beautifully orchestrated so that baby will be soothed into slumber, and also fun for adults to try and guess which band is being covered. There are many of these CD's where each one is devoted entirely to the songs of one band, and thus your baby can jam out to the gentle tunes of Nirvana, U2, Pink Floyd, or my favorite- The Cure. Nobody wants a baby with poor music taste, so let your kids get ahead of the peer group.

Rockabye Baby! Good Day, Goodnight: The 5 Year Anniversary Compilation

4. Moby Baby Wrap/ Baby K'tan: Wearing your baby has more benefits than one would think.
According to Dr. Sears, babies who are "worn" are smarter, more attached, less fussy and learn human interactions better than those who are not.
While baby-wearing has gained popularity in Western cultures recently, it is an age old tradition in many areas of the world. I grew up in South Africa, where it is customary for the black women to strap their babies onto their back whilst they work or go about their business. We had a cleaning lady/nanny who was like a second mom to me, and I remember being very young and being strapped to her back, abd how soothing it was to hear her singing and the vibrations her voice made. I would fall asleep to the constant rocking motion. Some more information on baby-wearing around the world: (Courtesy of www.slingbabies.co.nz)

For instance Mexican people use the Rebozo, which is a square of woven cloth tied over one shoulder with baby usually on the back- sometimes called a Chal, depending on the length.
Peruvians have a Manta which sits over both shoulders like a cape, and baby sits high on mother's back.
Guatemalans use Parraje- similar to a Rebozo.
European mothers used a mixture of pouches, wraps and short cloth carriers.
Alaskan/Canadian people have the Amauti which is a very thick arctic jacket with a baby 'pocket' in the back, baby even fits under the over-sized hood!
Papua New Guinea mothers use a Bilum- a net bag held at the forehead with baby hanging at the back (very strong necks!)
Indonesian mothers use a Selendang which is a long ornate wrap.
Aboriginal mothers used to keep their babies in carriers made of bark, similar to the cradleboards used by Native Americans but without the cloth covering.
Asian mothers use a variety of carriers including Mei-tai /Hmong/ Bei(China), Onbuhimo (Japan), Podaegi (Korea) plus many use a 'carrier' of long straps which go under baby's armpits and thighs for back carries.
African mothers use a 'Khanga' which is a short-ish piece of cloth tied around the torso, so baby sits low on the back.

My two favorite baby wearing slings are: The Moby wrap

Moby Wrap Original 100% Cotton Solid Baby Carrier, Chocolate

And the K'tan: $49.99-59.99.

Baby K'tan Original Baby Carrier, Black, Small

I would love to hear what your favorite baby products are, so send me an email, or post a comment.
And keep your parenting as simple as possible!

Love and lightness,
Kerry, the Momster

Letters to my Valentine

2013-02-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

I heart snail mail. Always have, always will! Sadly, it is a dying art form. For the day of love: Valentines Day, which also happens to be one of my favorite holidays (maybe having something to do with my birthday being the following day) I make lots of pretty things for the specials in my life.

When my daughter was born I began a series of letters to her, that I mail to our address and then stuff into a box unopened when they arrive, so one day she will have a "journal" of unopened letters all postmarked. For my son, I haven't been as diligent, but write to him in an actual journal, letters whenever I remember to (The second baby always gets jilted).

Valentine Craft

So for Valentines Day I made them each a "sustainable" felt envelope to stuff with treats, and maybe afterwards if I am feeling up to it, will add to the collection, so that they can play mailman with velcro stamps and the works.

Here's how:

For the top flap, use a new piece of felt halved, then fold in half again and cut in a jagged diagonal, rounding the top.

Cut out a triangular piece from the top piece of felt on the envelope body.

Stitch the sides and bottom first. I used a contrasting red color thread for effect.

Then add top panel and stitch straight across.

All done! Easy right?

Now to decorate...

I cut out felt names because I want to use them as place cards for the Valentine table too.

I made a quick stamp and some permanent marker lines on the front.


I love love love them! Hope my kiddies do too! Love and letters, Kerry, the Momster

scratch and sniff

2012-08-29T11:37:00.001-04:00

I got this wonderfully easy idea from kiwicrate.com's 2 ingredient tuesdays. Non-toxic, sweet smelling(and tasting) koolaid paint. Just mix koolaid with a high concentration and paint away. But make sure you are watching the whole time or you end up soaking up berry blood-like pools off the floor like me.

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Sweetest School Support

2012-08-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Can you believe "back-to-school" time is here already? Now that I am no longer a teacher, I can join the other moms and dads and be ecstatic for this wonderful time of year!!

As a little back to school treat I am making these candy bars for my daughter. They are encouraging and so sweet (hehe excuse the pun!). I found them over at Sugar to Designs and the printable is free.

Go ahead,sweeten up your little scholar's day. :)

Love and lots more free time, Kerry, the Momster

Mad Magnets

2012-08-12T11:00:00.001-04:00

For a recent road trip to Daytona beach I went a little nuts making goodie bags to keep the kids entertained. This little magnet toy was such a hit with my daughter that I thought I would share. I used a cd tin and drew the background ocean scene on paper. Then I found 2 small pictures of the kiddies, cut them out and glued to a magnet sheet (you can also print directly onto magnet sheets, but I use recycled calendar magnets that we get from realtors and such like-read:free!). After that I used beach themed stickers stuck ont magnet sheets and cutout. Voila! Beach magnet scene toy ready and waiting. All the pieces fit nicely in the tin, and it is small enough to put in any purse for entertainment-on-the-go boring errand days.

Love and games,
Kerry, the momster.

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Pack your troubles away (part 2)

2012-08-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Now that your clothes and accessories are packed, lets start on the lotions and potions that keep us beautiful.

Conair Travel bottles to decanter your beauty products into. $13

What to pack:

1. An all-in-one make-up pallete. I truly am a Dior addict, so I adore this one! ($75, Sephora)

2. Sunscreen- never go a day without it! I use a tinted moisturiser and sunscreen in one to save room.

3. Moisturising facial mister (great for planes or after a day in the sun.

4.I always pack a sleep mask and ear plugs as you never know how light or noisy the hotel might be.
5. Toothbrush and toothpaste (I keep the little kits from my dentist and take a fresh pack with me)
6-8.Cleanser, body wash, shampoo and conditioner.
9. Body Sunscreen and after-sun lotion.

Tips:

Visit Sephora before you go and ask for samples of under-eye lotions, concealers or fun eye shadow colors. Then you have ready-to-travel size make up.

Don't forget your ipod and some external speakers, for the hotel room, or morning jogs.

Pack doubles of certain items such as contacts and sunglasses.

Dont forget your Camera!!!

Love and sights-to-see,

Kerry the Momster

Pack your troubles away

2012-08-04T15:52:00.000-04:00

Beach Weekend Getaway Packing Guide

Packing is one of my favorite things to do. It's part of the fun of vacationing because as you put your outfits together, you picture all the things you might be doing.

Skirt — wear it during the day with sandals, at night with a heel.
Bermuda shorts to wear day or night, to work or on the weekend.
Skinny White pants, and a pair of trusty jeans
2 Tanks, silk sleeveless blouse to wear with pants or shorts, one extra blouse and a tee
One dress for an evening out
Jacket in case it gets chilly
Comfortable shoes to wear for walking, pair of heels, sandals and wedge sandals (metallic color is most versatile)
2 Convertible invisible bra to wear with strapless top, cami, tees, etc.
Soft wrap cardigan
Cute pjs
Evening clutch and a shoulder purse for daytime.
Coed Weekend Bag
Floppy sun hat
Sunglasses(or three if you are like me)
2 bathing suits (I like mix n match ones)
Beach cover up
Towel

Tips for packing:

Roll clothes (preferably into outfits). It saves space and keeps wrinkles at bay.

Pick all accessories for outfits and store in clear pouches (I use clear luggage tags) so that they don't get tangled together.

Try and stick to a color pallet as this will offer you more mix and match options.

If you are going for longer just double the number of clothing items but keep accessories the same.

Now you are ready to sight see, brunch or dance the weekend away.

Love and luggage,
Kerry, the Momster

Tooth Buddy

2012-07-26T11:03:00.001-04:00

Kaylee has a loose tooth and will soon be collecting payment from the tooth fairy. I made this little buddy to hold her tooth, and then the money, based off of a few I had seen online. She loves it!

Love and loose teeth,
Kerry ,the momster

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Kiwis and Kids and Krafts

2012-07-23T20:52:00.000-04:00

This is such a fantastic idea, that I wish I had come up with it! For busy moms, no need to stress about whether you are being creative enough, or doing enough arts and crafts with your kids, the wonderful people at KiwiCrate.com do it for you.

Each month you receive a box with all the supplies, materials and instructions for easy, exciting and enriching activities. Aimed at ages 3-7 yrs, many can be done alone, but they are so fun you will probably beg to participate. You can sign up for monthly deliveries ($19.95), or buy a gift for someone for just 1,3, or 6 months. And to add siblings it's just $7.99. Each project is designed with children's healthy development and learning in minds, and list the areas of growth such as: Creating, discovering, gross motor, fine motor, communicating and caring.This is the perfect gift for the child who has it all!

Sample Box

Dig Into Dinosaurs

Project One

Fossil Fun

Create your own fossils using special clay, sticks and dinosaurs.

Project Two

Stompy Dinosaur Feet

Design and make your own special dinosaur feet. Perfect for stomping.

Project Three

Dinosaur Tail

Decorate and wear a dinosaur tail, a perfect complement to your dino feet.

Plus

Kaylee can't wait for her box this month. It is a Wild Safari theme. We will post pics of the journey :)

Order through here for $10 off

Love and exploration,
Kerry the Momster

Lookie lookie its a nookie

2012-07-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

Inspired by some lovely reading nooks (or hideouts) as my daughter calls them) I whipped up this baby in under an hour. I used wire to fasten the curtain, an papasan chair cushion as the plush floor and christmas lights tied with ribbon for the ethereal lighting. Little Kaylee was so in love with it, that she slept in it exclaiming "I just know this is going to be the best night ever! I can tell!"

Love and little joys,
Kerry the Momster

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Summer Fun

2012-07-15T20:14:00.001-04:00

My kiddies are a handful to entertain in the summer but this recipe for sidewalk paint was so easy, cheap and had them entertained for ages! Right after I plonked them in the bath and they were delighted by how the water turned colors too!

Recipe: 1 cup corstarch to 1 cup water, mixed with food colorings of your choice. Seperate into muffin tins.

Love and color,
Kerry
The momster

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Toddlers and Teaching

2012-06-05T15:47:00.001-04:00

A little matching game I made for my lil guy today.

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Pass me Over

2012-04-05T15:43:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Sorry I have been M.I.A, but I am in the midst of a new project, and have had my hands full. Anyways here is a little craft for a place setting that I created to keep little hands busy today.
Happy Pesach/Easter/Spring!

I'm a lamb of God!

Love and lambs,

Kerry the Momster

Little Flower Princess

2012-03-05T09:04:00.007-05:00

For Make-It March, here's a tutorial for a shirt I made a while back, inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Ruffles and Stuff. A simple way to jazz up a shirt for a girl:

1. Start with a fun colored Shirt.

2. Cut out two shapes of "tear drops" and then cut out from chiffon. (I used the top part of a nightie that my daughter has outgrown). Cut as many pieces as will take to go around the collar twice.

3. Pin the big tear drops to the shirt and run through the machine, then repeat with the little ones and voila!

4. Little Flower Princess! (Clip tutorial coming soon!)

Love and petals,
Kerry the Momster

If I were a rich man...

2012-02-22T21:07:00.000-05:00

Etro

Printed silk-chiffon scarf

$450

Rebecca Taylor
Now And Later tweed mini dress
$425

Roberto Cavalli

Neon python snake-clasp clutch

$1,850

I am going through some serious shopping withdrawls from this "no buying" year. So I did a little fantasy shopping... sad,sad,sad. If I had money and weren't on some personal crusade, these are the things I would buy right now. I am a retro-junkie so it's really killing me that all the fashion right now are 60's throwbacks. sigh.

Love and longing,
Kerry the Momster

Tickle your funny bone

2012-02-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

As February is the month for things we love and also a great one for snuggling with loved ones watching movies I have compiled a list of movies.
These are ones my husband and I (actually agree on) and consider our top 10 funniest movies (not in order):

1. The Other guys
2. Meet The Parents: The follow ups got progressively less funny.
3. 40 yr Old Virgin
4. The Hangover
5. Dinner for Schmucks: Kieran the Artist is something else. I love him in Flight of the Conchords too.

6. I Love you, man! More Paul Rudd!
7. Get him to the Greek
8.Pineapple Express
9.Harold and Kumar
10.Bridesmaids: surprisingly funnier than both of us thought it would be.

Love and laughs,
Kerry, the Momster

Dapper Dude

2012-02-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

DISCLAIMER!!! I'm really not a fantastic seamstress- never been schooled in the area or anything, but I do know how to thread my machine and run pieces through it so that they stay together-ish. That being said, I don't really measure, or cut straight or have patience, or any remnants of the OCD I thought I had (with 2 kids, I'm lucky if I have enough energy to brush my teeth everyday, so why waste it on measuring??)...so if you are a real "sew-er" you may want to opt out on viewing any of my sewing tutorials, as they may look somewhat to you, as what I imagine a lamb being slaughtered might look like to a vegetarian.

That being said, here is my remake of a baby jersey/sweater into a vest. I adore this little sweater, so was really bummed when Asher outgrew it. And so the old man sweater has now become the old man vest! Heres how:

Lay sweater flat.

Snip off sleeves, including the seam. Save sleeves for later as I think I may have another project in the works for those!

Pin the ends inside.

Sew down and ...

done!

Add a baby and you are good to go!

So cute, I know!

Next time I would overlap the sleeves a bit so that they aren't so gaping.

Love and cuteness,

Kerry the Momster

Passion Pendants

2012-02-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

This Valentine pendant decoration that I saw somewhere (but don't recall where) was really fun to make with the kids. It's pretty simple and versatile, make it as basic or complex as you like. Add more pendants,decorations or photos to it for personalization.

You need: Paper, scraps and embellishments, string and glue.

Start with A4 size paper ( or scrapbook paper made cut smaller). You can also use fabric or felt instead.

Fold in half and cut to create the point.

Decorate... these are Asher's handprints

Kaylee made hers with everything "Valentines"

Ahhh..I can't stop! More more!

Watch out for the bugaboo. He likes to grab things off the table.

Here I added a slip at the top to thread the fishing wire through.

Add caption

String it up and done!

"Love, like a river, will cut a new path
whenever it meets an obstacle."
Crystal Middlemas -

Love and hugs,
Kerry the Momster

These, as our love, will last forever.

2012-02-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

Nothing says love like handmade flowers.If you are like me, and despise roses, then whip up your own bunch of colorful carnations for Valentines Day. They are very, very easy. So easy, that I had time to write "easy" twice. :)

Start with tissue paper, folded in half until there is a stack. You can use multiple colors for the same flower, or single colors. These are yours, so there are no rules. (Well except that there is no crying in baseball, that rule applies everywhere)

Cut a stack into dog bone shapes. You can make a template or free-cut. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Using a pipe cleaner push up through the layers of paper. Then fan the "bones" around until they are evenly distributed. After that push the pipe cleaner back through the papers and wind around the base of the stem.

Pink Flower done :)

Smells good too! (No, not really)

Now, go make some!
Love and blooms,
Kerry, the Momster

Soft as petals.

2012-02-11T09:13:00.000-05:00

Felt flowers are fun!

A cute little felt flower tutorial, for your tiniest valentines. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy, and so cute, you might become a felt flower addict.

Start with a square (I divided one piece of felt into 6 squares)

Draw a spiral. As you do more, you may not need to draw them anymore, and just cut blindly.

Cut some petals too, if you like.

My favorite weapon in my craft box: glue gun! (but you can use liquid glue)

Cut the spiral...

Now roll and glue from the middle, round and round ( like rolling a sleeping bag)

More of the rolling...

When finished, glue the end. Now glue on some petals, and use to decorate your children. :) I glued a safety pin onto one, and a hair clip onto another. You can use them to embellish gifts, shoes, hairbands, tacoss... ok, maybe not tacos.

Pro Felt flower model.

Love and little flowers, Kerry the Momster

Is it a bed? Is it a table? No it's a tangerine box!

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Whaaaa???

My family seems to have been inhaling tangerines of late (known as naatjies in our house, as I am South African), and I have been wondering what to do with all these lovely wooden boxes left behind. Family Fun must have heard my silent cry and presented a beautiful craft that I knew would be right up my daughter's alley.
Being a lover of all things fluffy, or puppy, she is constantly making "beds" for all her fluffy, puppy "friends", covering them in washcloth "blankets" or -if they are really tiny- stuffing them inside sock "sleeping bags" (Adorable i know!!). This craft turns a simple tangerine box into a stylish table with a table cloth for toys by day, and then into a bed with a blanket for them by night.

Here's how:

Start with a wooden tangerine box.

This is optional, but we painted the legs and you can also paint the inside of the box, or cover with paper.


Cut the size you want your blanket/table cloth to be. I re-used an old shirt.

Cut and paste paper to cover inside walls of box.

Here we cut out a piece of fabric to make a "mattress" only because my daughter was concerned about the hardness of the box for her friends. So I cut a piece from an old nightie...

I hot glue gunned all around the sides to the box and left an opening...

Kaylee then put stuffing inside it and I hot glue gunned it closed. Then we made a pillow from the sleeve of the nightie

Soft bed and mattress. Now onto the blanket...

One side "table cloth" is the previously measured shirt, then the back of the nightie is the "blanket"side. Put them face sides together and pin.

Sew along edges, leaving a hole open and then turn right way around, and stitch up the hole.

Felt side top, and paper sides all hot glue gunned on, with help from mommy of course.

Table set , they want macaroni...

Furberry likes macaroni ...she ate it pretty quickly.

"It's like we got it at the store!!" I think she likes it :)

Here's the link for Family Fun's (but I think ours is cuter- and definitely more girly). Still, it was a great idea!

Still got more boxes? Here's more fun ways to use them...

So simple, yet effective. Change the label by erasing the chalk writing. From tiptoethrough.blogspot.com.

I am definitely making this!

Little herb garden...so cute as gifts!

Using to organize children's books, or as book tubs in classrooms (I would cover the boxes first though)

holding mosaic papers or crafting tools

Cooling pies and baked goods!

Love and little moments,
Kerry the Momster

Little bit of Lana in my life

2012-02-07T04:00:00.000-05:00

The lovely Lana Del Rey , that is.

Staying true to the resurgence of the 60s pop era, Del Rey delivers sultry,dramatic melodies that rope you in with the enchanting, sometimes disturbing and sad lyrics. The 60s she embodies is not that of the "stepford" wife and hamburger joints, but more the gritty, acid-laced, "factory girl" under side. This album, Born to die, which dropped Jan 31st, seems a social commentary of the "all-American" ways (songs like :Blue jeans, Elvis, Video games, etc) and speaks to issues of press,status,sex, marriage, and whatever else her label allowed her to sing about (albeit with rather depressive outlooks), showcasing glamour and love as being more barbituate, than "Barbie". It's not really child-appropriate listening unless you don't mind your toddler belting out "we were born to die" in her sunday school class.

It would appear that Lana is an overnight success, but in reality she has been performing under the name Lizzie Grant and other side projects for a few years now. Seen here:
performing in 2009 (pre lip-enhancement).While her talent was apparent, her new label felt the need to do a complete overhaul, sprinkle some illuminati symbolism into her videos and even a name change and hence reborn the sultry, Lana Del Rey.

While I'm not thrilled about the power houses using artists as tools for their own means(See MK Ultra),or her SNL flop, and that her authenticity is questionable, her songs are still both intriguing and meloncholy- exactly as they intended, so I guess just listen with caution. ;)

Sounds Like : Stevie Nicks, Lykke Li
http://www.lanadelrey.com/

Love and listening,
Kerry the Momster

More on this:

Vigilant Citizen

Little Red Tea Cart

2012-02-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Little Red Tea Cart Revamp: Weekend Project

This was a relatively effortless, affordable revamp to a tea cart for my kitchen- but would also make a charming addition to a hallway or bedroom if painted in a different color.

How I did it:
First I nailed down some loose boards on the bottom that were warped from water, then lightly sanded the wood and stains. Then I removed the wheels and painted with primer (extra primer on stained parts).
For color I used an indoor/outdoor lacquer spray paint as I was looking for a high-gloss effect. It took lots of layers and my fingers were sore!! I went through about 3 cans and had to wait between application.

But in one weekend the little cart went from drab to delectable and is now the "bread station" in our kitchen holding the toaster and vintage bread tin (another one of my favorite things).

Love and charm,

Kerry the Momster

It's a little bit of everything I suppose....

2012-02-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

I received a wonderful text from my husband today (which is funny because he works upstairs), saying what a wonderful mother I am and all the lovely details that go with that. It was very sweet, and I was floating around on that bubble thinking, "yes, I think I am a good mother because, yes I really do take this job seriously! It's a big sense of responsibility that I have been blessed with, and I feel great joy (and of course hardship at times) in teaching and guiding my kiddies, and I am so great and wonderful ladida"...when about 5 minutes later I receive a phone call from my daughter's school, saying she was in the office and I needed to pick her up because it was early release day and she had been there waiting for half an hour. UUUGGGHHH!

I fell right off that high horse, flew to the school and made my walk of shame to the office to pick up our "forgotten" children, making eyes and knowing smiles with the other moms who were apologizing to their children. I guess we are never all together... but it's nice for husband's to think so anyway! :)

Love and little mishaps,
Kerry the Momster

The Colors of my World

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

The weather has been fantastic lately. We live in Florida, so winter is the most comfortable time of year to do outdoor activities. The other day, Kaylee and I decided to introduce baby Asher to paints. He is a tactile baby, so loved squishing the goo and messing it around s much that eventually his sister moved away to do her painting elsewhere. He also decided that tasting it was essential to the artistic process, so thank goodness for non toxic paint!

Kerry Jaclyn Photography

It's so much fun having children and watching them discover and delight in the world for the first time.

I love these kiddies!

Love and colors,
Kerry, the Momster