My Kitchen Co-pilot

    My little guy LOVES, LOVES to be in the kitchen with me. Even if it's just to make a cup of coffee (speaking of which wait until you see my post tomorrow! Coffee.., yum!!) Since being home more with the little kiddos, T.W and I have been spending time in the kitchen while Bear is napping.
    Our recent project was ice-cream cone cupcakes! We had some extra ice-cream cones that I knew wouldn't make it to summer time and plenty of cake mix so we surrendered to a new project and it turned out to be a truly delish treat!

 

Cover a cupcake pan with foil and poke holes through the foil.

 

Place the ice-cream cones in the holes - they will stand up right.

 

Mix your cupcake mix (He chose red velvet - yummm)

 

Fill up the ice-cream cones

- we ended up filling most up just a smidgen too much.

As you can see in the picture below..,

Let them cool down - one helpful hint we found was if you poked a small hole in the bottom of the cone as it cooled the cones did not become soggy.

We used a toothpick to do this.

 

Since we didn't have any frosting I ended up using some chocolate melts.

I was very happy with using them because the chocolate cooled down so when they bumped into each other there wasn't frosting all over the place.

 

T.W had a blast decorating them

- even if his fingers turned reddish from the colored sugar crystals.

 

Bear even approved!!

 

Do you have a kitchen co-pilot too?

What is one of your favorite projects that you both create in the kitchen?

Kid Art!

    I love kid art. It doesn't even have to be my own kid's artwork. Kid art is super fun to look at and wonder what they were thinking or feeling. Some is systematic - like my son's artwork. Some is emotional - like my older daughter's artwork. Some is just scribbles - like my younger daughter's artwork. Whatever the art - its wonderful!!
    I like to frame some, fridge art some, tuck away some and even have scanned some to make an art picture book. What are some things you like to do with your kid's artwork??

Handprints are one of my favorite pieces of kidart!

Lulu's picture of her and her siblings

Tis the season for traditions

    I've been trying to move around more hoping that my body lets me bend and stretch the way I use to - you know - before the whole rib cartilage damage from my chiropractor. I think it's working or at least I am having the illusion its working. My hips are still awful when I try to bend down to pick something up (Side note to that! I cant believe how much I fumble when it's so much work to bend down. I swear I have been dropping more and more things.) And for some odd reason my ankles are still super sore when I walk or stretch them. I haven't figured out how that is related to my injury but I'm trying to deal with it.
    This weekend we'll be going to hunt for our Christmas tree. One of my favorite things to do during this holiday season. The past few years have been pretty mild weather wise and I'm still sad that the original place we use to go to closed down. But we are keeping this tradition going and my children are so excited.

Last year there was no snow

- pretty sure there will be snow this year!!

    We also have a story and brunch with Santa planned for the next weekend! I am totally excited for that! It's at the local mom & pop toy shop in town. When possible we support our local shops. I just can't wait! The kids are going to have such a great time. Bonus! There will only be 25 kids altogether there so it's a relatively intimate setting.

    What are some traditions you have during this time of year? What new ones are you trying out?

Feelin' 85

    This morning I laid in bed thinking of everything I have to do today - it was a long list. I have to finish up the kids pajama pants, design and print out tickets for their super special Polar Express train ride this weekend, go through papers, finish up a few dollies, make some masks, treat Lulu to a movie for a fantastic first Parent/Teacher conference, organize Christmas gifts, cut out Grampa's gift, the list went on.
    I could hear the kids moving about and knew I had to get up and moving. Only one problem - I was completely and utterly sore from neck to toe! I was laying on my belly and stretched out. My ankles screamed out in pain, my right side muscle tightened up and the intersection of my neck and shoulders burned in angst. My eyes welled up in tears. I took some breaths and coached myself away from crying. Chanting "Be strong" I tried to turn over on my side to begin my descent from the bed.
    That phrase "I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy" went through my mind as I used all my might to push my upper body up. You know what??!! I DO wish this pain upon my worst enemy - once I find one.
    I can't remember when I last felt like I could skip through a field of daisies and toss in a few cartwheels in there. I can't remember when I last felt like I could just toss my body into bed and curl up in a ball under the covers without having to ease in and carefully maneuver my body into a semi-comfortable position.
    As I tried to stand up and felt my upper body push downward into place all I could chant in my head is "This is BS.., this is BS" - and the BS did not stand for "Be Strong".
   After the whole doctor debacle I went through a few weeks ago, I am thankful that it is not kidney stones but knowing it is rib cartilage damage stinks too. I almost wished it had been a broken bone. It can take up to a year for cartilage to heal.
    So I suppose I can look at the glass half full. I'm already 6 months down, what's another 6 to go? Yes, my sanity and yes my will power are already stretched thin. I miss being able to jam all the kids in my car and haul them to the zoo for an afternoon outing or off to the park all on my own. It frustrates me that it takes double time to do something and it totally frustrates me that since the big move I still have boxes upon boxes of stuff to go through.
    Shy of winning the lotto and hiring a maid, an organizer and an Au par - I have to continue to push myself and chant "BS.. BS"  (And that time BS means "Be Strong")

Wordless Wednesday

Call it "going green"

We had to substitute the infamous carrot with a celery stalk

for the first snowman of the season.

The remaining thankfulness

    Before I forget and while I have some time I suppose I should wrap up that whole "things I am thankful for" list. I left off at number 19. (yikes! It's been that long since I've blogged?)

    20. Currently I am thankful of knowing my body pain is a result of a rib cartilage. Why am I thankful for that? Because now I know that heating it was causing me more harm than good. Sure it felt like heaven sitting in a warm bath with epsom salts but 20 minutes later I wanted to curl up and disappear. Although its not prime time to be favorable to ice my body, its feeling better.
   21. I hate to admit it but DVR and On Demand. There are few things I enjoy to watch which are more like guilty pleasures (ie. Vampire Diaries - yeah I'll admit it).
   22. So thankful for Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream. Lately the weather here has been cool to cold which is drying my skin out!! I've been slapping this cream on my face and it literally feels like smearing heaven on my skin.
   23. Saturdays! Before the Hubs used to work on Saturdays with an occasional Sunday so the kids and I had brief weekends with him. Now that he's been rocking his new job he's got his Saturdays with us!!
   24. My mum's afghan she gifted to us for our wedding shower. It is soft and uber warm. It is truly a piece that has been pulled out each and every Fall.
   25. I am thankful for my son's curiosity in the kitchen. Although sometimes it can waiver on that thin line of annoyance, he is the perfect little side kick when prepping delish foods. He was a great help making my real cranberry dressing (although we had to have the canned crap for my in-laws as I hear just how much they love it.., meh)
   26. Rainbow colored popsicle sticks in a tin can. I cant even begin to tell you just how much those simple little sticks have been keeping Baby Bear entertained. She carries them everywhere! Sometimes she doesn't even play with them. Sometimes she does. Either way, she loves them and dare if you will touch them. Helpful hint? Ask first.
   27. My daughter's Kindergarten teacher. She has made such a huge imprint on my daughter's schooling, she is amazing!
   28. (This one will be obvious merely for the day - Thanksgiving) Family. Through thick and thin, through love and hate - they are there.
   29. Today was Black Friday and I am thankful that I have been DONE with gift shopping/making. Although today I did manage to nab me a deal on a new desk. Well, the Hubs nabbed a deal on a desk for me.
   30. Last day! I am thankful for a the time I have taken to do this list of thankful things. Yes I wake up and start my day, sometimes set on cruise control throughout then bed. But little do  I realize the little things that are there to be thankful for.

    Phew! Ok I am all caught up and we have crossed the finish line!! I hope you enjoyed seeing things I am thankful for and have taken a few moments to be thankful for the things in your world.

Make it big and round!

    I like to consider myself pretty crafty and resourceful. So when the Hubs came into the house after putting out some holiday decorations and exclaimed he wanted to put a gigantic wreath in between the upstairs windows my mind started to churn. How much is a big wreath going to be? Do I have anything that big? What do I have? What's in storage still since the move? Ahhh!
    I went to a few stores to price out and nearly keeled over at the price tags.., this gigantic wreath was going to be over the $90 mark. *barf* Even with a sale coupon it was going to be over $50. *barf again* I just couldn't bring myself to buy one - not without checking what I had.
    A quick trip to storage to scan over the holiday decorations helped to ease the shock from the price tags. I had three medium-ish wreaths I picked up years ago at 90% that were uncovered in the move. My crafty mind churned once again. Sure they had a light pack on and said use only indoors BUT what if I removed the lights, cut the wreaths in half and linked them together to make a mega wreath!??!! OH and I had a box of plastic "unbreakable" ornaments I could zip tie on to decorate.
    I grabbed up all the items and made my way home only to realize I wasn't that strong enough to use the wire cutters to cut through the frame of the wreaths.., boo. I had to bat my pretty little lashes to ask the Hubs to cut and link. Once he did that with 2 wreaths he came to check in on the size. It was perfect!! No need for the third.
    My mega wreath was a big frail looking so I wrapped two strands of garland around to bulk it up. I zip tied the ornaments on and stepped back to admire my final work. It was perfect! The gigantic wreath that could have cost over $100 was sitting pretty waiting to be hung. My estimated cost is $15 with the garland being the most expensive thing in the bunch.
    What do you think? Not too shabby eh?

The spot the wreath is going to go -

a wimpy little wreath just wont do!

 

Call me "Craft-guyver"

(Ok don't - that was bad - haha)

 

What a beauty

- if I say so myself

There she sits

- pay no attention to the craptastic wood

- that's on the summer list of things to update

 

More thankfulness

    Where did I last leave off at? November 16th. So here are the next three things I am thankful for.
   
    17. Believe it or not, my ex-boyfriend. Ok so I dated a townie while I was going to college - yes I know - a townie. (It had it's perks like finding short cuts across town or a place to wait out a snow storm with his uber large family instead of the dorms before making the trip home). It started out so weird and to be honest it makes me giggle when I think of what an ass he was in the class we had together (I mean he was an ASS!) but our early relationship was awesome. I even became a nerd and learned how to play Magic the Gathering - yeahhh but luckily that whole thing tapped out. Of course the relationship started to fizzle as I was nearing my senior year. I was eventually going back home and the 2.5hr distance was less than appealing. He was having a hard time finding a path and by luck he was presented with one when a cousin came along. We were growing apart and when it finally came to a head it was ugly - like we did things to make each other hurt ugly - but before we both knew it we were fine with it. So much so when I spent my last Summer semester there we hung out and he even celebrated my graduation with my family and I. As much as I loved him and cared for him I don't think it would have ever worked any further than when it unraveled. Ok - so why am I thankful for him? Well he made me realize what and who I really, truly wanted to be in a relationship. I figured out what I really wanted out of relationship and what I didn't. His family also showed me that through the chaos and cluster that the siblings all cared for one another no matter who annoyed or peeved them off just minutes prior. So townie dating stigma aside, I learned a lot about myself, who I wanted to be with and had some great college experiences with him (seriously that back road short cut knowledge was stellar!)

A little shout out to former nerd me -

this was one of the themed decks created and a card I will never forget.

She looks pretty dang badass eh?

    18. Lets lighten this up - I am thankful for blue ink pens. I don't know why but I cannot stand writing anything in black ink. Blue ink is so bright and happy. That is why I always carry a blue pen with me just in case I have to fill something out and they don't have blue ink.

    19. Fruit snacks. I am thankful for fruit snacks because those 9 or so fruity little treasures tucked in that colorful plastic baggie brings me roughly about 7 or so minutes of peace and quiet around 9:45am. When the younger two are home with me that is about the time when the kitchen has become a disaster and I need a second cup of coffee so ripping open a pack of those and having them sit down in the living room is heaven sent!

    The month is nearing the end.., have you thought about what you're thankful for?

Catching up to catching up

    I haven't been online as much as I normally am. I've grown a bit indifferent about posting lately and I'm not sure why. But I'd like to keep at it and hope that someone out there is reading what I write. I'm sure at one point or another every "blogger" goes through that feeling.
   Ok - so enough of my sappy mood swing. Let's catch up to things that I am thankful for. I last left off on November 4th so I have a lot to catch up to! These are not in any particular order.

    5. Our "new to us" house. We totally out grew our 2 bedroom house two kids ago. Although it was a long and tedious process and decision, we found a house to call our home.
    6. Socks! I am totally thankful for warm, fuzzy socks. My feet get so chilly so I tend to layer on a few socks. (This was very useful when I was going to college and walking from the dorm to classes in snow!)
    7. My sewing machine my mum gave me. Although I haven't really truly set up my sewing/crafting space I've been using it far more than I did before the move.
    8. My cousin JP. She is like the little sister I never wanted - that's what I tell her. She's such a sweetheart and is sometimes too kind for her own good but she listens and lets me rant and rave.
    9. My friend LS. Even though she was only in New York for a few years, she was such an awesome friend before she moved back to Maryland. As much as I am elated that she finally found true love and had an amazingly beautiful baby boy, I miss her to no end! We had some great times before kids.., haha.
   10. My mandolin. One of the coolest Christmas gifts the Hubs got me. I just get a kick out of slicing something uniformly. I've made apple chips, apple fries, zucchini chips, beet chips...., and so on.
   11. The doctor when I had Bear. She was wonderful. She allowed us to have Lulu in the delivery room - bc what 5 year old doesn't want to cheer her mum on while delivering her sister? She was also great at helping me deliver Bear without an epidural (which in itself was amazing! If I could go back and redeliver the older two I would have done both without an epidural as well.)
    12. This one might be odd since I'm no longer pregnant nor will I be pregnant again BUT I am thankful for my cozy, purple maternity hoodie from Old Navy. I LOVE it. I can't bear to part with it.., EVER. That cozy hoodie kept me warm through all of my pregnancies. Yes, I apparently have an emotional attachment to a piece of clothing.
    13. Cuddles. I am so thankful for cuddles, especially when the kiddos know I need one. Those are the best! Two little arms wrapped around me hugging me with their warmth and love.
    14. Our dog, Jax. I wont forget the day we picked her up and I had her wrapped up in a Ninja Turtles towel. She slept in my arms the entire ride. Right after we brought Lulu home she became the protector. Although she's all bark and no bite, she's still a good "po-po".
    15. Coffee. I'm a mum of three...., enough said. Haha.
    16. This is going to sound like a back handed compliment...., but its true.., and its also not meant to be a compliment. Without getting into the entire gruesome back story..., I am thankful for my Hub's dad. We do not talk to him any longer, nor is he involved with us (a smart choice on my Hub's behalf)...., but I am thankful for him being a selfish, egotistical a**hat. My Hubs vowed to never be like that with our children. My Hubs is involved and very hands on with our children, has been since the minute they were born. He will not take fatherhood for granted like his dad did.

    Ok - there! I am caught up. And for that.., I am thankful. What are some things you are thankful for?

Catching up to four

    Things have been rather busy here. Some things have been out of sorts but others have been leveling off. Let's not forget we jammed a holiday where mass candy consumption is considered the norm. I am hoping that we are all back on track and things are closer to the "normal" we had going.
    With that intro under my belt.., here is the start of my list for things I am grateful for.., not just in the month of November but year round!

    1. My three children. They are unique in every way and they are simply amazing. Lulu is the dancer and singer of the group - she never stops moving or singing even when it would be in her best interest. She has a heart of an Aquarian for sure. T.W is the thinker of the group and he is true to his emotions. He will be the first to tell you if he likes or doesn't like something. He can crush my heart then cradle it into a loving, gooey mixture the next second. Lastly, Bear is my reader. She may be 17 months but she can sit down with a book and be still for a good 8 minutes or more. She has also mastered the adorable yet uber cheese smile.
    2. My Husband. 89% of the time he manages to make me smile or laugh, the other percentage is his silly attempts to make me smile or laugh but I don't - haha. He is a very hard worker, both on the job and at home. If it weren't for him the dishes would hardly get done and the laundry. Since the first diaper change in the hospital he always takes care of our children and is truly an outstanding father.
    3. My parents. It might have taken me a bit through those teen years but I am so incredibly thankful for their support and lessons taught. I believe some of my frugalness sprouted from trips to the store with my dad. Some of my crafting passion came from my mum - which brings me to #4 for today....
    4. I am thankful that my mum enrolled me into 4-H and allowed me to be creative. Without that I don't think I would have ever fallen in love with art. I would have never been able to look at a project and figure it out or put my spin on it. (Like T.W's mural on his wall that I will be posting about in a week or so once I'm done)

    What are some things you are grateful for year round, not just during the month of November?

Wordless Wednesday

Bear is so slick mooching off of Lulu

Getting rid of the new

    Yea.., that's right. I'm getting rid of the new. Well, it's not so new because we've had the stuff for a while but it's all brand new in the packages. What are they? They are mostly gifts that the kids never opened to play with. Most were stored away with the idea to space them out through the year as a new toy, the rest are toys they just didn't want. Can you believe that? A kid not want to open up and play with a new toy?! I guess it's good that my kiddos know what they want and when they get it - it's game over.
   I have started to list the new items to sell on a "yard sale" site and it's been working pretty good. I'm not asking retail prices (most retail for over $10), nor am I asking for what I feel is outrageous. Just $4 - $5 an item or a reasonable bundle and whatever doesn't sell in a few weeks I'm going to just donate to the charity bins at the stores or see if there is a local club that you can donate to families in need. I'm hoping to take the older two kiddos with me so that they will make the donation themselves to learn that there are other families out there that are not as fortunate as ours.
    Wondering what I'm doing with the money that I get? That all goes into a huge water bottle that we collect change and extra dollars in. Ultimately we'll go to Disney with that dough. Although Big Sis has a vote in for Hawaii (might not be too bad of an idea., the Hubs has family there). Why not just go? Because I want to teach my kiddos that we have to save for big things that we want like family trips.
    So as I am getting rid of the new I'm hoping to teach my children charity and saving. Do you do anything like this? What are some ways you teach your children similar lessons?

Found it!

    It's never too early to start a Christmas wish list is it? Not at all. I have mine going year round! So it's only natural that the kiddos know what they want when I ask them for ideas. Unfortunately for them, I have been done with shopping for gifts (another thing that's year round) so the list gets passed to family members who ask for ideas.
    The quick version of the background on our Christmas tradition - I've sort of copied it from my parents. Growing up I received 3 gifts from Santa with a family gift tossed in there (usually a board game or something like that). Why the 3 gifts? Because Baby Jesus received 3 gifts - one from each of the Wise Men.

    So every Christmas my kids received 3 gifts and a fun filled stocking with a family gift. I've been struggling a bit on the family gift this year. Since our move earlier this year forced us to condense down outdoor toys I wanted to look into something that could easily be stored and assembled. We sold two playhouses, swings and some other big outdoor toys. We have a backyard now.., not a side yard so we lost some land space as well.
    The moment I saw the HugglePod in Magic Cabin's catalog I knew that would be the family gift! How awesome is this??!! It's a fun hanging pod like tent for the kiddos and I can even sneak in! I am totally in love with this! As much as I LOVE the Fall weather I am already antsy for Summer. The tree in our back yard is going to be perfect for this. They are seriously going to have a blast and I know Lulu is going to enjoy spending time in there mastering her advanced reading skills. It's perfect!

    How do you celebrate the Christmas holiday with your kiddos?  Do you have a set number of gifts? A big ol' family gift?

***The not so fine print - this is not a sponsored post -

I was not compensated in any way to post about the product or place. ***

I'm a little tea pot...

    When I get all steamed up here me..., vent? Yeah. I just have to vent right now. I think I am just fed up. It's silly really but I'm just irritated, annoyed, just fed up.
    I vaguely remember the days when the Hubs and I were just the two of us. No kids. But I do know that we got up in the morning, took care of ourselves, went to work, came home and ate dinner. We were able to come and go as we pleased. If I had to run out to the store.., I could just go. I didn't need to find a babysitter, worry about what mood the kids are in or time it perfectly into a schedule. If someone had something for me that I had to pick up it was easy to just swing on by on my way through.
    That brings me to my current annoyance..., I have a few bags of clothes that are of interest to my brother. He literally works 10 - maybe 15 minutes away. When he drops of his finance he could take a route that brings him so close to my house he could toss a rock and hit it. I've messaged him a few times to let him know I still have the bags for him to pick up and I either get zero response (oh those darn cell phones.....) or he says he's too sick to swing through and pick up. He then wants me to dig through the clothes to let him know if there are hoodies in there. That brings out the sarcasm in me.., I just want to say "Yeah sure.., I have plenty of time to open the bags which are knotted up and dig through them to let you know what is inside. Not a problem at all. I will just add that to the front of my list and get right back to you. I don't have anything else that is incomplete and doesn't have to get done." Sheesh.
    Another annoyance is the crazy member who needs to have attention most of the time and to be let it known that they are the best ever. Because I enjoy not hearing a smidgen from you and then out of the blue with a change of plans I like to drop everything and change schedules to accommodate for your spot light. Oh the holiday season.., and "birthdayrow" (that's another vent for another day though - lets just say it's not fun. For me at least.)
    The kids have started their Christmas list and I am looking forward to letting those who want ideas to have it. T.W really wants a food cutting set like this Melissa and Doug one. Lulu wants a few different things but mostly crafty kits. Bear will more than likely end up with new board books.., she loves them so much. I know one family member who will abide by the list and get just what the kids are asking but I know another one who will stray. I have accepted that that's what they prefer to do but I just feel bad when the kids don't react to what they unwrap like they did on the things they wanted. Each year I try something different but never successful so I think I've given up on that. No use to spin my wheels when someone doesn't want me to board their tracks. So I'll just give the list out to those or that person who wants it and that is that.
    Last but not least.., my body. My body is so sore. The top to my feet are super sore when I stretch my toes upwards. They are so sore I am unable to run let alone jog in place. Going up and down steps is tolerable. My entire back is one tight muscle and when I laugh it tightens up and almost feels like a huge spasm. Deep breaths are not fun and not as relaxing as they use to be.
    I could not tell you when I last felt amazing. I cannot for the life of me recall the last time I felt like I could skip, crawl and jump without any pain. And I don't know what to do. I ice, take warm showers and use a vibrating back thing but seriously nothing truly feels like it helps. And I am sure the Hubs and the kids are getting as much sick of it as I was months ago.., now I'm just past it and sinking further into a fog of light depression (for better lack of words). 
    Ok - I am done venting.., I'm going to go make myself another cup of coffee and see what chaos I can try to control with the three kiddos while the Hubs is working an open house hoping that sooner comes sooner than later.., heh. Enjoy your weekend!!!

Wordless Wednesday

What's more fun than a giant turtle shell?

 





My sweet and sour type of day

    Ever have one of those days when it's just on the fence? It's not a horribly awful day but it's also not one of those fantastic energetic days. It's both sweet and sour. That's the type of day I'm having today.
    I woke up and felt better than I have in a while. Granted T.W woke up Bear well before she usually gets up but we embraced the early breakfast (while I secretly harvested an annoyance knowing that she was literally going to be a Bear come mid-morning).
    The coffee seemed like it took forever to brew - and I have a Keurig. It couldn't get into my cup fast enough but once it did it was amazing! So amazing I had about four cups throughout the day.
    Lulu has been asking for weeks for me to make homemade tacos so I thought I would surprise her with dinner this fine evening...., only to have her come home with a mega sore throat and feeling icky. She managed to eat one, which proved to me she is sick. On a normal day she could pack down at least four of them!
    I was cleaning up the shoe explosion in the entry way and T.W and Bear decided I needed some "help" and wandered over to try on ALL the shoes..., which was silly for a bit but then just annoyed me. Once we wrapped up that up we went into the living room to read but no one wanted to actually sit while I read. Oy!
    Needless to say, it was just one of those days. I am a bit bummed it wrapped itself up into a knotted ball with few glimmers to work out the kinks but bleh!
    What do you do when you have a day like this? I worked extra hard to prevent it from trickling down to the kiddos but I fear my energy didn't pay off as much as I had hoped.., I noticed T.W was getting edgy in the afternoon. That's one thing I want to work on more.., keeping my frustrations from trickling down.
    Maybe I should have switched to decaf at one point eh? Sigh.

You are the apple of my eye - and a chip!

    Last year the weather here was not very friendly to apple farmers BUT this year rocked and we were able to go off to pick our own instead of grab a bushel. The kids all had a blast and it was fun to go with my brother and his fiancé - too bad the Hubs was off helping a move at last minute's notice.
    Let's fast forward - what are we going to do with three bags of apples?! I'll tell you where we start! Release the mandolin!!! I have a not so secret love affair with my mandolin. We make chips together. We've made beat chips and potato chips and let's not forget zucchini chips (they were to die for! if you like the taste of pumpkin seeds you'll like those).
    Here are some pics of TT and I making some apple chips for when Lulu came home from school. We like to create in the kitchen while Bear is taking her afternoon nap.
   

Scene of the crime

 

Getting a little silly

 

Apple Star!

 

All set and sugared up.

 

In they go -

 

- He got a bit distracted -

 

How delish do these look??!!

 

Well they were definitely delish. The kids devoured them.

 

What do you like to do with apples?

Goodies Co. Kids Box Unveiling Sept 2013

    I finally loaded the pictures and videos from my camera and while I was going through the folder I saw this little video chilling out. Then I thought "Oh goodness! I never loaded our unveiling of our September Goodies Co. Kids Box to the ol' blog"
    So here it is. Yes, its a month late. And yes, we'll be getting our October box soon BUT this is still one of our favorite boxes to get and the cost doesn't break the old wallet either. It's fun to have the kids try out the treats inside and discover new things.
    Enjoy! We sure did!!

 

 

 

 

***Not so fine print disclaimer - This box was purchased by me. I was not sent this from the company and was not compensated in any way for what was said. ***

   

Wordless Wednesday

Bear's first apple picking experience

 

 

(last year the apple trees were unfortunately affected by the drought and weather

which forced many "U-pick" farms to only offer pre-picked bundles

but luckily this year they were back in full force!)

 

What's more fun than a box - Kate Quinn Organics

    Surprisingly for the most part all the clothes that I had saved after Big Sis I have been able to use on Bear - even with the difference of being born in January and June. My galies are peanuts.
    I have picked up some clothes here and there for Bear - either dead cheep or fancy and fun pieces. I did try out Wittlebee under a discount code and was incredibly disappointed with the clothes and customer service. But we're over that and hopefully they've hammered out whatever hiccups they were going through for customer's sakes. Ironically I had received a Kate Quinn Organics onesie in a box but that wasn't enough after the disaster they sent to keep me on board.
    Let's fast forward. I swoon over Kate Quinn Organics and Violet + Moss. The clothes are beautiful, classic and warm my heart. You can occasionally see them featured on Zulily. I also love a good mystery so when I found out that they offer an Outlet Grab Bag subscription I knew I had to check it out.
    Here is a blurb from their website about it: our outlet grab bags contain either 3 or 6 items every month, depending on what option you chose. your bag will contain items from our outlet, and can include past season styles, samples and overstock items!
    Recently they offered a deal where you purchased three months and got the forth month for free - perfect!! Count me in! I signed up with Bear in mind, sizing up to 2T with no color preferences in a moderate climate.
    I received our first grab bag the other day and I am so excited. The items are beautiful and fun.

We are signed up to receive 3 items per month.

 

Cap sleeve bow dress in Purple Plum Moroccan - listed on the website at $38

You can see it in this picture but there is a bow in the middle of the front near the collar

 

Purple Plum Moroccan Organic Yoke Dress - I'm finding it online for $24.99

Leggings in Aqua Fleur Plume - listed on the website at $28

 

    I am over the moon happy with the items that were sent and the overall value of the grab bag. It is worth nearly triple than what I paid for it. The fabric is soft and feels incredibly durable. The dresses are so adorable and the leggings are beautiful. I highly suggest checking out this Grab Bag Subscription.  Even without the recent sale promotion they are definitely worth the cost per month.

    If you have already signed up - let me know what you're getting in your bags. I can't wait to dress Bear up in these amazing pieces!

 

 

**Again, I purchased the Grab Bag Subscription.

These opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for this post.**

What's more fun than a box - Citrus Lane September 2013

    I am over the moon on this month's Citrus Lane box! This is the second box that I had aged for my 3yo son. Last month's box was "pretty good" for him - he liked it and that's what matters right? We had received a cool double sided puzzle, some colorful themed band-aids, hand wipes and a coloring book set with a Fab Kids offer and a sample bag of Annie's cheddar bunnies. (I lost track of time and didn't get a chance to post our unveiling but it's here on my YouTube channel.) But this month takes the cake!
   

A stuffed box!!

The special treat for Mom this month was a bottle of nail color from Julep. I LOVE purples so I am stoked to try this out. It says that Julep nail polish does not contain formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP and it is fast drying. (I did try out a coat on a nail and it is pretty stinky but the color is awesome!)

I haven't checked this subscription service out yet

but it is on my "check out wish list"

I am digging this hard cover book by Alexander Girard from AMMO Books. The pictures are fun and bright and the text is great! List price on the hard cover is $16.95

 

How fun is this spread?

Super fun text and an amazing bold, colorful picture!

 

Insert "swoon" here!

These bamboo vehicles from Hape Toys are awesome!

These cars are eco-friendly and just too cool!

These retail for $6.99 each

 

A tube of Peaceful Bubbles by Episencial. The younger kids love bubbles in their bath and I have been very happy with this brand in the past.

We already tried this out and it had a very pleasant scent. No icky film left in the tub and it didn't dry out their skin.

I'm guessing this tube was made for Citrus Lane -

an 8 oz. bottle retails for $8.99

 

This month's box was a great for us! The kids will all enjoy the Alexander Girard Color book. I'll be stashing the Hape cars as stocking stuffers for Big Bro. The younger two are enjoying the bubbles and in a bit I'll try to paint my nails to see how chip-resistant the nail polish is.

 

If you haven't checked out Citrus Lane yet, I suggest you do!

Get $10 off your subscription here.

 

Let me know if you sign up and what age you're gearing your box towards. I think I'm going to do another month for Big Bro (3yo) and then switch back over to Bear (15mo).

 

 

 

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I purchased this Citrus Lane box - the opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way for this post. 

 

A (White) Greenhouse

    I love Ikea! I wish there was one closer - like around the corner close but sadly there isn't. On our recent road trip to Pittsburgh's Ikea I picked up their Socker Greenhouse for our herbs. Big Bro helped me assemble it - it was super easy! Luckily there were no major parts to assemble and it was super easy.
    In about 10 minutes we had our Greenhouse built and then got to work on starting our chives kit. Next we'll start the basil. Our afternoon projects while Bear is sleeping and Big Sis is at school.
    Trey is wondering why the Greenhouse isn't green - I tried to explain why it is called a Greenhouse but I don't think he bought it so I'm going to dig through some boxes and look for some of those yard sale dot stickers and have him stick some green ones on the white but for now our Greenhouse is a Whitehouse.