Tales from a Panamá-mama

Hot Fun in the Summertime

2018-06-20T17:27:00.002-05:00

*FTC DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Wild River Country. All opinions are my very own.

Let’s face it.

Keeping kids happy when it’s hot outside can be difficult.

With the age ranges in my kids- early twenties to pre-school age- it’s almost impossible!

We were very happy to participate in a blogging event by Wild River Country as a family

to see what they had to offer.

Did you know that Wild River Country is the largest water park in Arkansas?

With twenty-six acres including thirteen slides, three pools (including a great wave pool)

and plans for an amazing kiddie pool improvement in the next few years

Wild River Country offers something for everyone.

Wild River Country from top of Slide

We were treated to a cabana, which is so worth it to have a place to meet that’s in the shade.

You have access to a private cabana right on the wave pool, a nice footlocker to lock up

any valuables, beach chairs, bottled water and some packages even include meals which

makes things easy!

I think the next time we go we will choose the cabana party, which is admission for six plus

the cabana, meals, and more for a great price!

Homebase at Wild River Country

My youngest is four and she loved the “tad pool” and the lazy river.

She especially liked that there was a special slide just for her age called the “Sidewinder.”

Tad Pool at WRC

The older kids loved everything! (The “Thrilling Three” were especially scary and on the top of
their list for best rides.) They also really enjoyed the “Pipeline” and the lazy river. In this age of technology, it’s great to see kids loving time outdoors!

The staff at Wild River Country is amazing. They employ over three hundred local people for the summer. The management prides themselves on the training they provide and it really shows. I noticed the lifeguards were extremely attentive and asked the management about it. They explained that their 62 lifeguards were among the top 3% in the nation with perfect audit scores for the past three years. All lifeguards are trained in-house with special intensive training and daily drills.

Makes a mom very happy to know her kids are so safe! I am seriously considering season passes for the older kids because it's so close to home.

Lifeguards Ready to Train at Closing Time

The final verdict?

My entire family had fun and asked when we’d be going back again!

Soon I hope.

Scarborough Fair Dressing

2017-10-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sage from my garden

Dressing is something that defines a family. A simple comfort food made from leftover bread to stretch an expensive meal (typically using what type of bread you had available so in the south- cornbread, in the north- wheat bread.) You can almost guess where someone’s grandma hails from by what type they serve you. (Dressing, stuffing, cornbread, white bread, fruits, nuts, oysters, chicken, chestnuts…)

My maternal grandmother was Canadian. She moved to the deep south in the 1940’s, marrying into a family of Scarborough’s where her mother-in-law had been a true southern debutante and did NOT appreciate her son marrying a “Yankee.” So my southern mother learned to make a white bread stuffing (not dressing) usually studded with fresh pecans.

My husband’s grandmother was from the south and made a traditional cornbread dressing.

When we started hosting our family holidays we had an unexpected conflict on what we would serve- an all white bread dressing with nuts like my Canadian grandma made or a total traditional cornbread dressing like my husband’s grandmother made? Everyone wanted their personal favorite and so a compromise was needed. Thus, I came up with a yin-yang combination dressing that seems to please everyone!

Scarborough Fair Dressing

*14 ounces of cornbread (or a large cast iron skillet full.) I use fresh homemade but you can use any mix or recipe.

*14 ounces of dried bread cubes or stuffing mix

*½ of a medium onion, chopped

*4 stalks of celery, chopped

*7 ounces of melted butter (olive oil can be subbed)

*Fresh Sage (approximately 8 fresh leaves or 2-3 Tablespoons finely chopped)

*Fresh Italian Parsley (2 Tablespoons finely chopped)

*Fresh Rosemary (1 6” branch of rosemary, take leaves off of branch and chop)

*Fresh Thyme (about 1 Tablespoon fresh finely chopped)

*4 cups of stock or bouillon (I use vegetable but chicken is also good and homemade is best!)

*1 cup Milk or Half & Half

*Salt & Pepper to taste

*Nuts and raisins or apricots (optional)

1-In a large bowl put bread and cornbread and mix together.

Yin & Yang of Bread waiting to be mixed!

2-In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions and celery in olive oil or butter until translucent. Add fresh herbs and cook approximately 1-2 minutes more.

Time-saving tip: I make my cornbread a day or two before the holidays. I like to saute the onions, celery, and herbs then add to the cornbread before baking. Then when I go to make the dressing I can skip step 2 all together. This is especially helpful when you have all the burners cooking for other dishes!

3- Add about ½ cup stock to the pan with vegetables to deglaze the juices and add all of this to the bowl with bread. Add your melted butter also at this point.

Veggie Stock

4- Mix and slowly add the rest of the stock and milk. The amount needed may vary depending on how dry ingredients are, humidity etc. You want the mixture to be sticking together and pretty wet (not total mush, but til it’s VERY wet so it doesn’t dry out too much when baking.) Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste and more herbs if necessary.

Last stirs

5- Put in a large buttered baking pan (12x24) and bake at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour. You want it to be golden brown on top and edges.

Ready to bake

Remember that dressing is something that you can easily give your own family touch by simply adding local ingredients or that mean something special to you!

A Sweet Pairing (Recipe & Giveaway!)

2016-02-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

*Disclosure: I am required by the FTC to tell you that this post is sponsored by the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and Josh Cellars Wine for their #asweetpairing campaign. Of course, I always keep a stash of Ghirardelli chocolate and my hubby is loving the Josh Cellars wine so all opinions are expressly ours. Company has also sponsored a great give-away at the end of this post!

Is there anything sweeter than wine and chocolate?

Valentine's Day is fast approaching.

We always like to make a sweet treat to celebrate and this year we've made rolled sugar cookies decorated with Ghirardelli chocolates!

My little helper liked to sample the dough!

Ready to decorate cookies!

I melted the 60% Cocoa Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips in the microwave, gently on half power at small intervals and stirring frequently. The white chocolate I melted on the double boiler. I put both melted chocolates in piping bags and bowls and we just had fun! Be prepared to get messy!

NOW ENTER!

(P.S. I have a chance for another $75 card on my INSTAGRAM account ending on 2/8/16!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now to deliver some wine and cookies!

On What I've Been Up To...

2015-03-11T17:14:00.000-05:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just realized I didn't have this enabled, so if you like me you can follow on Bloglovin with link above!

My oldest just turned eighteen.
I thought it would make me feel old, but it really didn't. She's such a wonderful person. Thank goodness she's smarter, and nicer than I'll ever be! Happy birthday, Emily!

My youngest will be one in a couple of weeks.
I can't believe time goes by so fast.

Anyway, wanted to let you know I've been blogging over on Arkansas Women Bloggers (as Miss February, no less!)

On Smiling

On Love Letters

On Growing Pains

and on Arkansas Better Beginnings.

On Warm Bellies on a Snow Day (Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe)

2015-02-17T16:19:00.001-06:00

My kids are picky.

I mean seriously picky.

A lot has to do with sensory processing issues, and the rest from sheer stubbornness I think. I really don't understand it at all because as a kid I lived to try new foods. My brother and I would beg for octopus or artichokes. Things that I really didn't know other kids didn't want too.

One thing my picky kids do like is Indian Food. (Go figure.) I guess the vegetables are sometimes so well hidden or changed with spices that they forget they are there?

Anyway, we have had a long weekend compounded with a snow day and we were all bored of the same old food, so I decided to make Chicken Tikka Masala for lunch yesterday.

FYI, after a bit of research I realized that Indian Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala are actually the same thing, just in Butter Chicken the meat is usually left over and cut into cubes!

I came up with this recipe. I made it a bit on the un-spicy side because I wanted the younger three to enjoy it. (Also left out onions which most recipes have.) I love Penzey's spices and order most of my spices from them online. Their Tandoori Spice worked really well in this dish because it had much of what I wanted and nothing extra: coriander, cumin, sweet paprika, garlic, ginger, cardomom, and saffron.
*FOR A VEGETARIAN OPTION YOU COULD USE ROASTED POTATOES, SQUASH, OR CAULIFLOWER INSTEAD OF THE CHICKEN.

*And no I'm not sponsored by Penzey's, but would love to be! :)

This is what I call "Chicken Quickka Tikka Masala."

It was really easy and turned out great! And best of all... EVERYONE ate it!
*I don't have a "go to" naan recipe yet. I just googled "naan" and made one. I'll try and get a good one and post it later!

On Indy & Windy

2015-01-29T12:43:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we took off for my eldest to audition at a college ballet program in Indianapolis. We were expecting COLD weather and snow, but somehow luck was on our side and the weather was about the same as it was here when we left - about 37 to 34 or so. (Didn't even have to break out the new long underwear we'd bought!)

The younger ones and I toured the Indianapolis Museum of Art while she did her audition. It was free! We even got free parking because our art museum here has reciprocal membership. Fantastic museum and we only got to see two floors before we had to meet back with dad and Emily at Butler. It was a beautiful campus and the people are so incredibly nice. Now to wait and see if she gets in!

After Indy we drove to Chicago for a fantastic welcome weekend for prospective students at SAIC (the art institute.) She was accepted there with a pretty good scholarship, and being one of the best art schools in America we decided it was worth the time. I'm so in awe of the school! I wish they had dance also, BUT Jeoffry Ballet and Chicago Ballet are within walking distance so I think she'd be able to take some classes if she decides to go there.

Chicago was not bad as far as weather goes either and we got to walk around a bit and hit some of the top kid spots (Science Museum, Millenium Park, Lego store...)

We stayed at another Historic Hotel, the Palmer House Hilton. We try to stay in Historic Hotels (if they have rooms large enough for the six of us) wherever we can. The prices are usually not any more than a "box" hotel and you get a totally different experience.

No matter where she chooses, it was a fun trip!

On Being an "Older" Mom

2015-01-12T05:30:00.000-06:00

A question I'm getting a lot these days is "What's it like?"

Meaning: what is it really like to be a new baby mom when you're over 40?

I am so grateful to my friends who came forward when I was pregnant with Aimee and told me "I was your age when I had my youngest." or "I was older than you when I had mine." They are all people I already admired as being super "cool" moms and didn't even know that they were older than I am! Gives me hope that maybe one day I'll be a "cool" mom! :)

The truth as I see it:

The Bad:

I'm probably never going to be a size 2 again
Being really tired (eat right and/or take vitamins!)
Not getting ~~anything~~ everything done
Knowing I'll be ____ years old when she's ____.
I have to write stuff down or I forget (EVERYTHING)
Medical professionals will treat you like you are crazy and/or an old lady (AMA on your file) and your kids' teachers will be old enough to be your kids too

The Good:

I don't care if I'm a size 2 anymore.
I can take a nap and not feel guilty
Dishes in the sink, laundry not done? It gets easier to accept, there will be time later
Staying young at heart!
Saying "no" to the extras is so much easier
I know how to tell people what I expect and need

And THE Most IMPORTANT:

I cherish every single minute.

On Saying Goodbye (or How to Talk to Your Kids about Death)

2015-01-10T14:01:00.000-06:00

Disclosure: This is a post in a series of sponsored posts as a Brand Ambassador for the ARKANSAS BETTER BEGINNINGS program. I truly believe in their mission and everything expressed will be my own opinion! #ARBB

Last month my beautiful grandmother passed away.
At the age of 92, she had a long and beautiful life, not exempt from hardships and heartache, but mostly full of beauty and joy. At her funeral her grandchildren all had their children present, (ten from ages 9 months to 17 years.) The funeral was a beautiful way to celebrate her life, and help us mourn her loss. Her illness and passing brought up many of those hard questions that kids ask about death.

Talking to kids about death is never easy, but not as hard as we (as adults) make it out to be. Children are always smarter and stronger than we give them credit for. And let's face it- part of being alive is knowing that we must all die one day.

When we heard how ill she was, my youngest son asked me "Mommy, do you think she will die?" I had to be honest and tell him " I really don't know, baby, she is very sick and fragile." My twelve year old son, who was not in on the conversation, only knew that she was ill, and so when we heard that she had passed away he took the news much harder than his younger brother.

My own father passed away a week before I turned seven. I remember vividly him explaining his illness to me and telling me he wouldn't be here much longer. I was sad but also relieved that he had told me the truth. I still remember feeling grateful for that. Also, I remember thinking that the adults that tip-toed around him and the topic were all crazy. I remember thinking, "Why don't they just talk to him (and me) like they normally do? He's dying but not dead yet." The honesty my parents showed me as a child helped me in his passing. I mourned but was not surprised or devastated at the funeral like my cousins who had only been told that he was sick.

So how do you talk to kids about death?

Be honest. (Use age appropriate measures but don't make up things to pad the situation. Saying "Grandma is asleep" is not going to help.)
Answer the questions as they come. (Don't give out so much info your kids are overwhelmed. Answer their specific questions as they ask them.)
Show them how you deal with pain and let them express theirs. (Cry, write down your feelings, pray, talk, cry)
Make teachable moments. (Give honest answers for illnesses or aging etc. Use your personal beliefs on what happens after we die, the soul, God, etc. as they come along.) Read some books about death and dying together to help in understanding.
Love and cherish them.

I was so glad we took our four children to their great-grandma's funeral. I believe it helped them to see her life celebrated and to let them mourn her collectively. Knowing that they weren't alone in their sorrow helps them begin to ease the pain.

Some great books to read together:

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages by Leo Buscaglia
Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs by Tomie de Paola
I Miss You by Pat Thomas
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie
What's Heaven? by Maria Shriver

For more great information on parenting and child care please visit:

On Generous Fun (or Holiday Gifts Kids Can Make!)

2014-12-17T14:42:00.002-06:00

Disclosure: This is a post in a series of sponsored posts as a Brand Ambassador for the ARKANSAS BETTER BEGINNINGS program. I believe in their mission and everything expressed will be my own honest opinion! #ARBB

How many times have you heard "I'm bored!" during a school vacation or even just a weekend?

Keeping kids entertained doesn't have to be exhausting, and can be beneficial to everyone!

Here are some fun things for the kids that will help them cooperate to make holiday gifts and even learn while doing it! (Don't tell them!)

I let the kids choose a few homemade recipes for gifts that they wanted to make for teachers and friends. (They had to cooperate with each other to make these, read and measure, and had fun! A great way to teach generosity as well.)

My children wanted to make Snow-Ball Bath Bombs and Play Dough.

These activities are a great way to get the kids using their science, math, and reading skills as well as cooperation and sensory fun!

To make the bath bombs...
(This activity is safe as long as children are supervised. I recommend it for preschool ages and up.)

*The citric acid is the hardest to find in this recipe. I found mine online, but you can get it at hobby stores or you can substitute a lemon, lime, or orange powder OR can use the canning preservative that says it's main ingredient is Citric Acid.

This play dough recipe is the best one I've ever found. It takes time to make and I only let my children measure and put ingredients into the pan as it is very tedious and takes some strength. It's a great gift or just fun to have on hand and lasts a long time! Wonderful for sensory play, learning letters by shaping, and much more! Also, it's non-toxic and safe for toddlers and up to play with.

*Put some dough in an airtight container with a couple of cookie cutters for a great holiday gift!

Having children help make gifts is a great way to play together as a family!

On Panamanian Tamales

2014-12-03T12:52:00.000-06:00

Check out my post on Arkansas Women Bloggers about Tamales!

I've done this recipe before on my cooking blog... but I tweaked it to include actual measurements!

¡Buen provecho!

On Fall Break in NOLA

2014-11-21T23:38:00.000-06:00

The end of September/beginning of October my kids had a week off for Fall Break and we took off for New Orleans on a spur-of-the-moment, long weekend trip!

The cotton was being harvested on the roads from Arkansas to Louisiana. I always love seeing the cotton come in. So beautiful.

We stayed at a Hyatt Place hotel, close to the Convention Center downtown in the warehouse district. It was close enough to everything that we didn't get our car out of the parking deck until we left.

New Orleans is so friendly and fun. So many interesting people and gorgeous weather in the fall. I absolutely adore it.

Fun things we did:

Ate beignets in Jackson Square at Cafe du Monde
Visited the Audubon Aquarium (Fun if you haven't been, but we visited the aquarium in Atlanta this past year and this one paled in comparison, probably pass next time.)
Walked in the French Quarter *
Ate at Mother's (This is our favorite restaurant in New Orleans! You have to be prepared to order when you get to the front of the line though!)
Listened to live jazz on the street *
Ran in Jackson Square *
Visited the St. Louis Cathedral *
Toured the French Quarter on a Carriage Tour
Visited the World War 2 museum (we could have spent two days there- amazing)
Walked through the Farmer's Market *
Toured the Old U.S. Mint (*Neat museum of money, history, and musical history. We also happened on a swing dance/band festival! All the real NOLA jazz is in that area of the city now, the FQ is mainly a tourist attraction. Lots of great places to eat or listen if you park close to the Mint at the end of the Market.)
Toured the old cemeteries *(we didn't do an official tour, just parked down by Cemetery #2

*All the starred things are FREE!!!
Trip wasn't too expensive, except for food. If you get out of the tourist areas you'll get better deals. For attractions look for coupons/deals online before you go. There were some really cool places to eat and hang out down in the warehouse district that I'd like to try next time. With a baby that was tired by the time we stopped to eat we didn't try any of the fancier places.

On the way home we drove down to the ocean and stopped at a beach in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Beautiful little town and they happened to have a church shrimp festival going on that was fun to walk around. The kids had a great time playing in the sand at the beach before the long trip home.

Easy Gift Guide for Kids

2014-11-10T14:28:00.001-06:00

Disclosure: This is a post in a series of sponsored posts as a Brand Ambassador for the ARKANSAS BETTER BEGINNINGS program. I am doing this because I believe in their mission and everything expressed will be my own honest opinion! #ARBB

"HELP! It's almost the gift giving time of the year and I have no clue what to get for (insert name here!)"

Choosing a toy for the holidays doesn't have to be difficult if you follow these easy steps.

1. Is is SAFE?

First and foremost ask yourself, "Will the toy last through rough play and not break or hurt the child?" Also included here would be "Is it age appropriate?"

In my house right now that mainly means "Will she swallow this WHEN she puts it in her mouth?" *Tip- to see if something is safe for young child, see if it will fit through a toilet paper tube. If it fits, it's too small!

Toys with batteries, strong magnets, strings, and pull cords longer than a foot should be avoided unless it's for an older child.

Personally, I try and avoid painted toys unless they are made in Europe or the U.S. (and locally made toys are BEST!)

Then, make sure you keep up with recalls here and on the manufacturer's website.

2. Will it LAST?

Is the toy well made?
If so,

Will it last through more than one child? (Will it be able to be passed on or donated when child is done playing with it?) My kids play with some toys that were mine, my husband's, and even their grandparents'. I'd say that was money well spent!

Also, "Will the toy grow with the child?" Will they be able to get years of play out of the gift? For example and nice set of wooden blocks will be fun for a baby, but also for an older child.

3. Does it have VALUE? (Social/Educational/Entertainment)

Some things to ask:

"Is it a toy they can play with others with?"

"Does it teach them something?"

FACT: Children learn by playing. Toys can help them learn cooperation, sharing, shapes, sizes, colors, language, and so much more!

and most importantly...

"IS IT FUN?"

4. Keep it SIMPLE!
Toys should not be too complicated to play with. Let the child use THEIR imaginations to make their stories come alive, not have the toy dictate how they should play. The more moving parts, the more that can go wrong/break also!

5. IMAGINE
The best tip?
Pretend that you are the child you're buying the toy for...
What would you think was the most fantastic gift?
Does this child love animals? (Maybe a cute animal puppet or even a zoo membership!)
Do they like things that go? (Balls, toy cars or trains, a book of paper airplane designs?)
Are they fond of puzzles? (wooden or cardboard puzzles, book of Suduko, stacking cups or blocks!)

Check out my Pinterest boards to see some great gift ideas for kids of all ages!

Arkansas Better Beginnings has great tips for choosing toys on their website here.

It's a Lego Minefield! (Or Keeping a Moving Baby Safe)

2014-10-09T09:39:00.002-05:00

Disclosure: This post is the the third in a series of sponsored posts as a Brand Ambassador for the ARKANSAS BETTER BEGINNINGS program. I am doing this because I believe in their mission. Everything expressed will be my own opinion. #ARBB

My world has changed-

In the last week someone has started to not only pull up in her crib,

but actually crawl!

At six months I wasn't totally prepared

and have to make some changes!

1. The Lego/BobbyPin Minefield

With older siblings, the path to the playroom is paved with many dangers. All those tiny toys...in our house it's mainly LEGO or similar toys, but in the past it's been doll shoes or accessories. Also the big sister's hair pins are probably not optimal for a baby-safe zone.

2. And We All Fall Down

We have two stairways in this new house. I've never had to worry about baby gates before, but now have to get shopping for gates for top and bottom of stairs as well as basement stairs.

3. Shock Protection

I did pick up a package of electrical outlet covers before she was born, and have them in most outlets, but looking around I've seen cords hanging from lamps, plugs with easy access to baby hands (and she's strong!)

4. Safe Snuggles

The crib needs to be lowered now that she's standing. It may seem like she's not tall enough fall or climb out, but I don't want to find out the hard way. Lowest setting here we come. I didn't use bumpers because of safety issues, but now thinking about a teething guard on the top rail to prevent her from banging her head in a fall when she's sleepy and trying to stand.

5. Cabinet & Closet Hidden Dangers

I've got to get door knob protectors or just a key for the bathroom closet door to keep little hands from trouble. Also cabinet locks for kitchen cleaning supplies under the sink and knife drawer. I use all natural cleaning supplies anyway, so not very worried about chemical dangers, but it's still not a good idea to eat them!

For more information check out the resources on the ARKANSAS BETTER BEGINNINGS site!

College Dreams & Other Things (or Summer Road Trip 2014- Part 1)

2014-09-19T11:19:00.003-05:00

This summer we wanted to take a road trip that consisted of touring colleges that my daughter is considering next year, with some fun thrown in.

The plan was to make a giant loop and hit every school from here (central Arkansas) to DC and back with good dance programs- BUT of course with only one week to do it, we ended up with a MUCH smaller loop... (only 1300 miles... so glad we opted for the small trip!)

Day 1:

We made it to Memphis by lunchtime and stopped by the Memphis Zoo.

Goofing off with the Panda bears at the zoo

Boys +5 years at the zoo

Next we headed a few blocks over for a quick tour of the beautiful

Rhodes College in Memphis, TN

"Rhodes looks like Hogwarts!"

We pushed on and got to Nashville for the night. (I'd made reservations as we drove in the car on hotels.com. We stayed across the street from Vanderbilt.

Vandy @ night

Day 2:
We'd made arrangements to tour Vanderbilt after lunch, so we visited the Parthenon in nearby Centennial Park. My kids are huge Rick Riordan fans (author of the Percy Jackson series) and we like to make "Percy Jackson" stops when we travel. In Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Percy and the gang stop by the Parthenon to obtain a magical pearl. The museum inside the Parthenon even has some notes from the movie and props, which the boys loved.

Parthenon Fun

After a quick lunch at a quaint old diner (place was cuter than the food was) then headed to Vanderbilt for the tour.

Elliston's Diner

Wow.

What a gorgeous campus. No wonder it's so expensive!

The tour was fantastic in itself.

This is a DORM @ Vanderbilt

After the tour we hit the road. Emily's Butler tour was Thursday morning and we had to make it to Indianapolis!

On Getting Kids Out!

2014-09-17T11:19:00.001-05:00

Disclosure: This post is the the second in a series of sponsored posts as a Brand Ambassador for the ARKANSAS BETTER BEGINNINGS program.  I am doing this because I believe in their mission. Everything expressed will be my own opinion. #ARBB

It seems like in the age we live in that we have to pry ourselves away from technology.
Adults and teens are always checking something "important" on a cell phone or lap top.
At home and school kids are glued to game consoles or TV.
We're so paranoid of strangers we don't let them play outside without us.

We've been trying to get outside as a family at least one day a week.
Arkansas has so many beautiful parks and trails!
This past week we went on a slow hike on the Two Rivers Park trail.

What do you see?

A few bottles of water, some snacks in a backpack, and the family was all we needed for a fun Sunday stroll.

With the older kids we played some games as we walked:

One was "What living creatures do you see or see evidence of?"
(They found people, dogs, butterflies, bees, wasps, spiders, and trails that deer had made.)

We also played "What shapes can you find?"
(My son saw vertical lines in the pine trees, angles in the bent branches and grass, spheres in the berries.)

Their favorite game was "If you were stranded in the forest, what could you eat?"
(This gave us a good discussion on what was and wasn't edible and we took pictures to research berries and mushrooms.)

They ran and climbed trees.

For the baby there was so much to see, and hear, and smell. Learning with all the senses.

But the best part was that we had fun as a family together!

Did you know that studies have shown that children who play outdoors have less stress and anxiety, better cognitive development, lessened ADHD symptoms, better vision, and more Vitamin D?

Other great ideas to get your kids outside NOW:

Blow bubbles
Lie on a blanket and name shapes in the clouds
Watch the birds at a bird feeder
Plant a garden or help with a community garden
Splash in a puddle together
Make a designated "NO TECHNOLOGY" day
Catch fireflies in a jar
Find some constellations in the stars or have them name their own

More great ideas for Outdoor Fun can be found HERE on the Arkansas Better Beginnings website!

On Reading to Babies (or It's Never too Early)

2014-08-21T12:02:00.001-05:00

I adore reading.

My kids also love a good book, maybe because we started reading to them from day one

(and even before!) They all read very early, and honestly the only thing I did the same was to read to them constantly.

Kiddos at the Hilary Rodham Clinton Children's Library

You can make reading to your baby an on-going game by:

Having siblings read to each other

Reading cookbooks or food labels aloud while cooking
Pointing to pictures and words in magazines or while opening mail
Giving them soft or board books to play with during tummy time
Reading signs aloud when driving
Reading your own books/magazine/newspaper aloud when nursing or feeding baby
Attending story-times at your local library or bookstore

Aimee loved this book at our library visit.

I read "One. One blue ball. One baby. Baby girl, like you! "

She really liked this page, so we read it a few times and she was done with the book. At four months her attention span isn't very long but every moment counts!

Remember that hearing your voice is what makes the learning experience. You don't have to read the exact words on the page, or finish the whole book to make it a valuable lesson!

This beautiful, green-build library not only has great books but a theater, classrooms, teaching kitchen, greenhouse, craft rooms, computer lab, and walking trails!

I'm proud to be an Arkansas Better Beginnings Ambassador! They have great resources for parents, families, and care givers on their website here.

This Saturday (August 23, 2014) they are offering a breastfeeding seminar at the Mosaic Templars Museum in Little Rock. Register for the event on their website above.

*FTC Disclaimer: As an ambassador for Arkansas Better Beginnings, I am compensated for some posts. However, I am doing this because I believe in their mission. Anything that I write will be my own, original, genuine thoughts.

Maternity Shirts to Baby Dress!

2014-07-25T14:38:00.002-05:00

I had a few maternity shirts with those lovely belly stains on them...

in other words "not fit to donate or sell."

Looking at the shirts I thought that there was a lot of nice, soft, material in a maternity t-shirt, and the backs of the shirts were perfectly fine

so I started searching for free patterns on Pinterest.

Now, I am not an expert at sewing so I wanted something very easy to get back in the swing of things.

Found this one for a baby Cap Sleeve Dress on Shwin & Shwin that was adorable and thought I'd give it a try.

Cutting out Bodice from Maternity T's
(was debating putting those molas on the dress)

Aimee is 4 months old tomorrow, but large for her age. She's about 15# and 29" long so she's wearing a 6 month size in most everything, even larger in some because of her height. This free pattern was a size 12-18 month, but looking at it I didn't think it was that huge so I made it to size.

I used the backs of two maternity t shirts in the end, a teal green one and a purple one.
For the skirt I didn't follow the pattern because it didn't fit on any of the shirts right. I ended up taking the purple t shirt and just cutting off the bottom of it all the way around (about 10 inches long) and then gathering that and sewing it on the bodice.

My first attempt revealed that the bodice was way too long as well as the skirt, but width was fine.

"Mom, this is too big!"

So, I cut the skirt off the bodice and cut length off of both, then resewed.

This was perfect. BUT, my stitching wasn't very straight and seam showed on skirt...
SO
I used the binding that had been around the top of the teal v-neck t shirt and cut it off to make a belt of sorts. I stitched it on using a decorative stitch on my machine and black thread. I left the ends hanging like a real belt, and then made a fabric flower out of the purple fabric.

Floppy Flower and Belt Detail

To make the flower I just cut the end of a sleeve off at about three inches
then folded it and sewed a basting stitch and gathered it into a rough flower. Then I stitched those stitches together on the back and hand stitched it on, gathering where I thought it needed it.

I think she likes it!

It was really quite easy to work with jersey. I'd been scared to try but think making t-shirts for her would be so simple. I have several other dresses cut out from patterns I'm making myself, so I'll keep you posted!

On Tiny Cloth Booties

2014-04-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am a cloth diapering gal.
With our oldest we used what we could find and afford (old time prefolds and plastic covers)
With our second we could afford a few fancy covers
With the third I used mainly G Diapers
and now
I'm experimenting...
We are using mainly G Diapers with cloth inserts, but not sure how good they will fit later on.

Cute G-Diaper Baby Bum

I have a few fancy covers (Rumparooz, etc.) that I really like with the Indian Prefold cotton diapers,
but they are still too big for my little one's rump.
The G Diapers are so expensive (for the cloth inserts anyway) and I might try to make a few to see how they work. I don't like the disposable/compostable inserts anymore. Not sure how they are different from when we used them 9 years ago, but they don't seem to absorb anything and get the covers all wet. Yuck. I really like the cloth inserts, they are made from Hemp and cotton, so they absorb really well.
For wipes I got the Prince Lionheart wipe warmer on Amazon. I like the wipes that came with it alot. I'd also ordered some Thirsties wipes and they seem to be really pilly, don't like them very much.
If you live in central Arkansas you can find all kinds of cloth diapering options at The Green Corner Store downtown. They even have consulting and gently used diapers! (Plus you can get some Loblolly ice cream while you're there!)
My honey made me a beautiful clothesline last week. I know, strange thing to get excited over but I am! It's on a pulley system so I don't have to get down off the back porch!
So cute to see those little diapers flapping in the breeze.
I'll keep you posted on how this journey goes!

On Sugar and Spice and Spring Break Sweetness

2014-04-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

Our Spring Break-
Well, when I went into the doc on the 24th they said my amniotic fluid was a "2" which is dangerously low. I had read up on this and really wasn't too keen on being induced, but everyone said I should go ahead...
so we left the doctor, went home to pack a hospital bag, and went to the hospital.
(When you're planning a home birth this trip to the hospital is not a happy one.)
They started the Pitocin drip Monday (did a very slow increase and I had almost NO pain without pain meds) and on Wednesday my sweet Aimee was born. She was "face up" so the actual process was longer than I'd experienced before.

Aimee's Birthday

I must admit, hospitals (and nurses) have come a LONG way since I had my last baby in a hospital. Back then, none of the nurses had even witnessed a non-medicated birth, and this time two of my nurses had been midwife or doula trained. I was allowed to labor wherever and however I wanted (jacuzzi, birthing stools and balls etc.) and my midwife was there to act as my doula. No one asked me if I needed pain meds which was nice.

When my water broke on Tuesday I was not too happy. I'd been on Pitocin 24 hrs already and then to see that I did have quite a bit of AF, made me a little angry. I didn't want to force my baby to come two weeks early, and then to see that it probably hadn't been necessary....
To my doctor's defense, the ultrasound is a horrible method for measuring fluid. The midwife's hands probably are your best indicator of everything being okay, and now (too late) I know that. Make sure you get a second opinion!
The good news is that my sweet girl is perfectly fine, healthy and happy! She was 7 lbs 10 oz, so not too small for being two weeks early.

One week old

Now, if I can remember to sleep when baby sleeps (I'm sooo tired!)
My oldest girl did get her drivers' license (finally) during Spring Break, so maybe my chauffeur days will get easier.
The other kids are so in love with their tiny sister!

Anticipation...

2014-03-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

I have now only 12 days until my official due date.

I am so nervous,
mainly because last week the doctor told me my amniotic fluid level was only 4.5, and wanted to induce right then. I've been planning another home birth and he was not too happy with that news- so I told him I'd think about it and talk to my hubby and midwife and get back with him. Midwife put me on bedrest and told me to push water, electrolytes, and up my calories. Went in to midwife yesterday and she did a non-stress test- all went really well plus my belly grew a LOT in three days! I think the doc and she are worried because "I'm old." (Funny, I don't feel old yet!)

The feelings you have while preggers after miscarriage are so crazy. Never a peaceful moment. I second guess everything and it makes me a little crazy. (OK, maybe a lot sometimes...) I've been so careful with this pregnancy- I see the midwife, OB, and acupuncturist every week now!

On a lighter note
some sweet friends gave me a fun baby shower last week.
Lots of goodies and great stuff to eat!
I hadn't been to a baby shower in twelve years! (You don't expect many when all your friends are in their late 30's and up! :) It was fun to get to be silly and look at tiny clothes again.

Tomorrow I go back to OB and he'll do another ultrasound and see what AFL is. After doing research I realize this is the new way to get people to be induced, but on the other hand it is truly dangerous if it's genuinely low (but the ultrasound is not a very accurate measuring method.)

So if it is low tomorrow will be our baby girl's birthday...
Really hoping all's well. I don't want to force her to come before she's ready AND I'd love for another home birth. Plus, we don't have a name picked out yet!

Wish us luck!

On Garden Dreams in the Winter (Ticket Giveaway!)

2014-02-08T15:11:00.001-06:00

My mother and I always go to the Arkansas Flower & Garden Show together for her birthday. It's a fun time to plan and dream about gardens we want to build in the spring. This year however we won't be able to go because my daughter is participating in the Youth America Gran Prix (ballet competition) and I'll be out of town. (Ironically the theme for this year's show is "That's Entertainment!")

So, you know I was overjoyed when my friends at Arkansas Women Bloggers asked if I would come to a preview party for the show! Meaning I wouldn't miss everything, and would get to visit with some lovely people! (By the way, if you are a blogger getting with a group like ARWB is something you WANT to do. I've made some great friends, learned so much, and been able to participate in things I would never have known about otherwise!)
The hosts, Clark Trim and Chef Hendrik Thostrup, are the owners of Colonial Wine & Spirits. They had wine/food pairings which were very educational and delicious (even if I couldn't partake of everything in my quite pregnant state.) I took notes so I know what to buy for my next party!

Beautiful Table!

Centerpiece Idea with a Shallow Bowl and Cut Flowers

Chris Olsen, of Botanica Gardens, gave a great presentation on tablescaping with hints out of his book "Five Seasons".

How to Arrange a Coffee Table Display

Gorgeous Quartz Bowl (You can Make) with Succulents

The Arkansas Flower & Garden Show is a non-profit organization that's mission is to promote gardening and beautification of Arkansas, promote local horticultural businesses, and educate the public about gardening, landscaping, and floral design. The proceeds from the show go to support college scholarships in horticultural related fields in Arkansas and to fund "The Greening of Arkansas" grant program which gives communities throughout Arkansas funds for beautification.

Along with the fun night we got some great swag (and what blogger doesn't love some swag?) So a big thanks to all the great folks who donated to that cause- Colonial Wine & Spirits, Antique Brick Outdoors, River Valley Horticultural Products, Inc., The Good Earth Garden Center, Tammy Sue's Critters, Ghidotti Communications, and anyone else I missed!)

For the most fun of all I was given tickets to give you for the show!
If you'd like to go please leave a comment below. Make sure to tell me how many you'd like.
I have several to give away and will go down the list of winners until they are gone!
*If you can't wait to see if you've won you can pre-buy tickets HERE.
Adults are $8
Seniors $6
3 day pass is $12
Kids under 16 are FREE!
Also free parking at Dickey Stephens Park in NLR. Walk or take the shuttle for $1!

Disclosure- the Arkansas Flower & Garden show did give me tickets but all opinions are strictly my own.

On Shopping Small (LOCAL!)

2013-11-25T20:05:00.000-06:00

I despise shopping for the most part, but these sweet spots in central Arkansas make it much easier to shop local.
Here are my favorites for this year:

Box Turtle

Photo from the Box Turtle website

This is the coolest store on Kavanaugh with a mix of local artist's work as well as fun things they've found in market. Great clothes, gifts, cards, cool jewelery, and more! Great t-shirts by my friend Erin of shop E.L.L. can be bought here! (hint-hint)

Photo from Shop E.L.L.'s etsy page

Learning Express

We've lost pretty much all of our local toy stores in Little Rock except for this store. It's a great little toy store in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center. Very helpful employees will wrap your gifts or make a gift registry for you. My boys love that there are so many toys on display that you can test out before you buy!

Rock Town Distillery

Arkansas' first legal distillery since prohibition is new (opened in 2010) but has already won national and worldwide acclaim with it's delightful spirits. Almost every aspect and ingredient is made in Arkansas, from barrels to grains. (I'll be posting more about them soon!)
Some great picks:
The super cool American Whiskey Aging Kit comes complete with a tiny barrel (handmade in Arkansas) to age your whiskey to your taste.

The Moonshine Sampler Pack is a fun gift with Grape, Peach, Blackberry Cobbler and Apple Pie versions of Arkansas Lightning. (My hubby loved the Apple Pie on the rocks!)

You can buy at better liquor stores in Arkansas or at the RockTown Distillery itself, which is located close to Heifer Project headquarters downtown. (Fun tour if you have the time!)

RiverMarket Books & Gifts

Run by the Friends of the Central Arkansas Library system (and in the Rivermarket district) this store not only sells gently used library and donated books, but also some quite unique gifts for readers and thinkers. Also some fantastic art galleries (with some art for sale.) Get a cup of coffee at the counter inside and browse!

Arkansas Institute Studies Art Gallery
Another gem in the Rivermarket district- you might not have realized that this is a free art gallery with most of the work being for sale (by Arkansas artists!) Jewelry, hand turned woodwork, books, hand knitted scarves, pottery- they've got it!

Historic Arkansas Museum Gift Shop
Looking for handmade gifts from Arkansas or unique historical toys and gifts? This is the place! You don't have to pay admission to the museum to go inside the store, but you might want to!

Clinton Museum Store

No matter what your political affiliation, the Clinton museum store has something for you! Books, handmade jewelery, recycled presents, and more. Not actually inside the museum, but in the Rivermarket district. (More great museum gift shops in the area include- Museum of Discovery, MacArthur Military Musuem gift shop, Old Statehouse Museum gift shop, and the Arkansas Arts Center gift shop.)

Heifer Project Gift Shop

The Heifer project is not only a cool place to visit, but houses a wonderful gift shop. They have lovely gifts and neat things from around the world. While you are there tour the center and think about getting a gift that keeps on giving- animal donations for people in need around the world. Great organization. Our family registers online now and gives animals instead of gifts to ourselves.

E. Leigh's

Another sweet friend opened this store a couple of years ago on Kavanugh and it's become "the place" for fashionistas. I love how they group clothing by colors and ideas so even the fashion challenged like me can look good! It's also not expensive (which as a mom of a teenage daughter I LOVE!) This week they are offering 40% off STOREWIDE at several of their stores so make sure to stock up on gifts! (Did I mention she has a Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville store now?)

Sweet Home/Clement

Once on Kavanaugh, this amazing antique store is now located on South Main Street in the SOMA district of Little Rock. I love browsing (and buying) in this chic, but affordable store! My son has a great antique school map on his wall that we bought there for $20! While you're there make sure to check out...

The Green Corner Store

Also in SOMA, this quaint little store has great local gifts, all eco-friendly! Also the home of Loblolly Creamery (get some and tour the Bernice Gardens nearby!)

Support your local businesses! Where are some of your favorite places to shop locally?

On Pink?

2013-11-20T14:17:00.001-06:00

Last month I had an ultrasound to check and make sure all was well...

It is, and it's a GIRL!

I really didn't care if we had a girl or boy,
but secretly leaning towards the female side (just to even out the team.)
We were going to have a Gender Reveal at dinner to tell our kids, my mom, and hubby's parents
that night...
I had great plans of making cute Pinterest-found cupcakes with cute fondant toppers and
pink icing in the middle,
BUT
Dance happened. E is getting ready for Swan Lake AND Nutcracker so it just didn't happen.
Instead I ordered an all white cake with pink filling from a local bakery.
BUT
On the way home the entire top layer slid off!

Cake after I attempted to fix it- Pink was showing through sides though!

(They hadn't put dowels in the cake and it was three layers with LOTS of filling.)
With an hour to spare I managed to come up with this:

Tiny Take-Out Boxes

Filled with PINK Sixlet Candy

We asked everyone to open them at the same time and it served the purpose!
The kids were so excited (finally!)

I'm officially more than 1/2 way there now...
21 weeks!

19 to go til we meet her!

On Fall Break Fun With the Mouse (Part 2)

2013-11-20T13:45:00.003-06:00

Part 2 of Fall Break Fun with a Mouse!

On this trip, since we were doing things other than Disney,

we decided to only spend two days in the Disney parks.

We let the kids pick their favorites and they chose

The Magic Kingdom

(of course!)

The Magic Kingdom was having "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" on most of the nights that we were there, but we picked a night when it wasn't happening so that we'd get to see the fireworks.

We chose not to go mainly because:

For the party ticket it costs quite a bit more

My kids are allergic to most candy and I didn't want to fight them

There was a lot of construction going on in the MK, some was finished and new

areas were there since we'd been four years ago.

One new thing was the Beauty and the Beast castle and "Be Our Guest" restaurant.
I really was looking forward to eating there after reading some reviews-

Verdict? Not even the kids were impressed!

In their words:
"They don't have it together yet." (on ordering)

"Basically a cafeteria with GPS to get you your food." (8 yr old)

"Cool ambiance but awful food."

"Almost no options for vegetarians."

"We waited for this and I'm still hungry."

I'm excited about the new Snow White castle going in across from it- they will have a runaway mine car ride!

My oldest finally got to ride the Dumbo ride. She had been bugging me saying this was the third time she'd been and she HAD to ride the Dumbo ride (lines were too long the other times.)

Lines were non-existent and she got to ride it a couple of times I think!

It was so neat that all of my kids were old enough to ride anything- they had so much fun!

Kids' favorites:

The Pirate Adventure Scavenger hunt- very neat & interactive. (Gave us some time to drink something and put our feet up while they did that a couple of times.)
Splash Mountain- youngest is making me read him the Uncle Remus stories now
Tom Sawyer Island- they didn't want to leave this part!
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (we were stuck on this one awhile but the game still worked so they were happy!)
Space Mountain

Funny thing- we said we were jinxed because at least six of the rides we went on

got stuck when we were on them!

The second park the kids chose was the Animal Kingdom:

I secretly was hoping for Epcot since it was the Food and Wine Festival,

but gave in because we'd done that a couple of times before.

I do love Animal Kingdom.

It seems like a break from the rush of the other parks.

Very pretty and rides were great for older kids (and hubby.)

There were no lines at all in AK and they got to ride Expedition Everest probably 15 times in a row!

We ate in the Yak & Yeti restaurant and were disappointed again.

Think I'd do the fast food stuff there if I had it to do over.

One good thing was that this park closed at 5:30, which meant we had to take it a bit easy!

(And being pregnant I appreciated that for one day!)

Getting souvenirs in Downtown Disney

See my last post for tips on saving money in Orlando!

On Fall Break Fun with the Mouse! (Part 1!)

2013-11-16T23:24:00.002-06:00

My kids go to a "year round" school, which means we get a lovely break in the fall.

So, the last week in September/first in Oct. we took a trip to Orlando.

Our first outing was to Legoland-so much fun!

This new one in Florida is located in the old Cypress Gardens park

so it's not only fun, but beautiful.

There were NO lines at all so the kids rode everything they wanted over and over.

Our next adventure was to Universal Studios

and then Universal Islands of Adventure

I wish we'd had more time to stop and pick oranges when we drove out to Legoland. There are beautiful U-Pick orchards and it looked like it would have been fun.
We ate in Mythos in Islands of Adventure which I'd heard good things about on Universal fan websites. It was better than anything else we ate in any of the parks, but the service was not the best. (Pretty much everywhere in Orlando the service was slack though.) The frozen butterbeer was a hit in Harry Potter World. My eleven year old was chosen at Olivander's for the wand selection, which he'd been hoping for before we left. Made his vacation I think! (Hint, if you're in line try to not get next to other eleven/twelve year olds as they pick those kids for the "chosen.")
I didn't get to ride much of anything being pregnant, but the kids rode everything they wanted at all of the parks multiple times because the lines were non-existent. The only time it took was the time it took them to walk to the front of the ride! Perfect time to go to Orlando!

Next time I'll tell you about
the Magic Kingdom

Animal Kingdom!

Deals in Orlando:
*I found a smoking hot deal online on the Legoland website before we left- kids were free plus they got a free Chima Lego set which was over a $20 value.
*Plane fare from LR to Orlando? Try Allegiant Airlines, direct flight. Cheap- but we aware that they charge you to sit together and also for each carry on and checked bag. They are 1/2 price if you check bags at home online. Pack light!
*Universal Studios tickets were cheaper when bought online ahead of time. I printed them before we left and walked right in.
*Disney doesn't give a discount for buying tickets ahead of time so we didn't, and didn't have any trouble buying them at the park. Their sales people are very helpful in figuring out which pass is best for you.
*Coupon in tourist book for Wonderworks which equaled over $10 off I believe. The kids loved that place.
*Be ready to spend lots of money for subpar food. Nothing besides chains really and service is horrific in Orlando. If we had driven I'd probably had taken a cooler and snacks/lunch to the parks. It's easy to shell out over $100 just for fast lunch there. Next time...
*I found a great hotel deal on Groupon at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista. Fantastic price, cheaper than anything else I'd found and free breakfast, happy hour, snacks, and movies in the pool! With a family of 5 the Embassy Suites is a usually a nice choice. The location was fantastic too- right by Lake Buena Vista so we were close to the Disney and Universal resorts.