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Three Things II

Its time again for another in our installment of Three Things.  This week:  Three Things you can find at your local drug store that are wonders!

1)  Cetaphil:  I had used the Cetaphil face bar and lotion for about a year when I went to the prestigious Peninsula Hotel Spa in Chicago.  The esthetician asked what I used on my skin. I started to lie and say Creme De La Mer, but at the last minute owned up to the truth.  I was shocked when she told me "That's good!  Cetaphil is a great skin care system - in fact its the 'closet secret' of a number of models."   She explained that for addressing specific issues you may need other, additional products, but in general Cetaphil was great skincare!  So for your everyday skin care needs, this is one worth grabbing!

2)  Oil of Olay Touch Of Sun : I cannot tell you how many tanners, bronzers, glow enhancers, etc that I've used - and mostly been disappointed with.  But this is the exception to the rule. I've used this moisturizer now for years.  Everyday. Twice a day.  I have never had any "orange" issues, not one streak, no blotching, and my skin has never felt better.  It adds "sun" gradually over about a week but is never severe and never overdoes it.  Once it gets to the "one week" point, it won't go any darker no matter how much you use.  This is fantastic, even skintone in a bottle and for those of us who don't love foundation, its a match made in heaven!

3)  Big Sexy Hair, Spray & Stay:  I've tried what feels like HUNDREDS of hair sprays trying to find that magic mix of hold, and touchability.  I've tried everything from Aqua Net (ok, ok in middle school - hey it was the 90s!) to $40 bottles.  This is the first spray I've found that really does hold ALL DAY but doesn't make my fine hair feel shellacked into place.  Every so often I'm tempted by another spray's promise (or cool bottle) and I stray... but within days I'm back for Big Red, my true love.

Crafty Friday: Abstract Art

Why this project: I recently rearranged Cameron’s bedroom and realized that he needed something more on his walls. I decided that I wanted him to create something for his room, and that’s where this project began.

Book of the week: “Baby Einstein: Windows to Color” by: Julie Aigner-Clark (Another great book for this would be, “Mouse Paint” by: Ellen Stoll Walsh)

Materials:

Ø  3 small Canvas Squares  (However, you could use whatever size and however many that you wish)

Ø  Acrylic Paints in various colors

Ø  Paint brushes

Ø  Paper Plate

I bought the canvas and paints at Michaels Craft Store during a sale. And always look for their coupons in their weekly ad.

Directions:

1.   First we decided what colors we should use. I wanted the artwork to go with the color scheme Cameron already had in his room. So, we went with a brown, green, and a pop of yellow.

2.   We took the first color and squeezed it onto the paper plate. Cameron got the paint on his brush and went to town on his first canvas.

3.   I then gave him the second canvas and asked him if he could draw brown circles on it. He tried his best, and I love how the circles turned out.

4.   For the last canvas I asked if he could draw lines.

5.   We then let these dry before putting on the next layer of color.

6. For the second color, green, I had him do whatever he wanted on the canvas with circles. For the circle one I asked him to do lines. And for the one that he did whatever he wanted to, I asked him to draw circles. This way each canvas would have different shapes and depth.

7.   We then let these dry.

8.   For the last session we did a pop of yellow color on each canvas.

9.   We let them dry again and I just LOVE how they turned out! And Cameron is so proud of his art. He is so excited that it is hanging in his room.

 

**Next Week**
Something about seeds….

Author: Kim M.

Its a Jungle...

Animal Prints.  They are one of the toughest things to tackle in the fashion world.  What's ok - what's not?  What's too much - what's not enough?  What's trendy hipster - what's pathetic cougar?   Here are a few simple guildelines to help you wear animal prints without making people see spots.

1)  Its never all or nothing.  This point cannot be underscored enough.  The main key to pulling off heavy prints is not to overdo it.  If you're going to do a print blouse let that be your focal point.  Keep the rest simple and neutral.  Even adding a print accessory can kill an otherwise really nice look.  The one exception to this rule would be if you found a dress that was an animal print.  However even then the lines of the dress should be simple and clean - not fussy.  And stick to designers who know prints.  If its Cavalli you're golden.

2)  Accessorize - and be done.   The yang to point number one's yin is this:  if you want to go for fun animal print accessories let that be your statement.  A black blouse and pencil skirt can be amazingly accented by a leopard print belt and MATCHING shoes (the key here is MATCHING - make sure they were made for each other - more on that later...).   Even a cute cuff can be a nice add.   Again, the basic rule here is don't overdo it.

3) NEVER mix and match.  Ever. Ever. Ever.  It is NOT ok to have zebra shoes, a leopard belt and a tiger cuff.  Ever.  I don't care who out there tells you it is "edgy".  They are lying.  If you are over 16 you should run.   To put a finer point on it, even mixing the same type of animal in various designers' prints can end up horribly.  Dolce's cheetah may have totally different tones and prints than Prada's.  I'm not saying it can't be done - just be mindful.

Bottom line:

Shoot for something like this:

Or this:

Never this:

Crafty Friday: Homemade Bird Feeder and Bird Cookies

 Why this project: I chose to focus on birdies this week because February is National Bird Feeding Month. Yup, who knew! =]

Book of the week: “Are you my Mother?” By P.D. Eastman

Materials for Bird Cookies:

Ø  Wild Bird Seed

Ø  1 ¾ cups Flour and extra for rolling

Ø  2 eggs

Ø  1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

Ø  ¼ cup Water

Ø  ½ tsp baking soda

Ø  Pinch of Salt

Ø  Rolling Pin

Ø  Cookie Cutters

Ø  Straw

Ø  String

Ø  Small tray/container

Ø  Small cup/container with water

Ø  Cookie Sheet

Ø  Scissors for string

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 350*.

2.   Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. I had Cameron help me with this. He loves dumping the ingredients in the bowl and mixing them all up.

3.   I then had him dump the butter in and I did the eggs. =]

4.   I let Cameron mix for a bit, but then I took over at the end.

I realized that I needed it to be a little more wet to become more of a dough. So slowly add the ¼ cup of water until it becomes more dough-like. I did not add in the entire ¼ cup.

6.   Cameron then sprinkled flour on the table and we pushed the dough down onto the table.

7.   He sprinkled more flour onto the dough and I put some on the rolling pin. I got the rolling started and then let Cameron do some.

8.   He then picked out a cookie cutter, the train of course, and made his first bird cookie.

9.   We made the hole in the top of the train by pushing the straw into it.

   10. From there you are suppose to put the cookie into a small tray

         filled with bird seed, but the seed wouldn’t stick to the cookie.

          So, we dipped the cookie into water, then laid the cookie into

         The tray with the seed and Cameron sprinkled it all over the

         cookie.

   11. Then it went onto a cookie sheet.

   12. We continued to make more cookies and punch the holes out of

          the tops. Then I dipped them into the water and laid them in

         the bird seed. Cameron would sprinkle them and then I put

         them on the cookie sheet.

   13. We made enough to fill up one cookie sheet. Then placed them

          in the over for 10-12 minutes.

   14. We took the leftover dough and placed it into a freezer bag and

          put it in the freezer. We will pull it out later and make more

         bird cookies another time. Just make sure u label the bag if you

         decide to do this too. =]

   15. (While they were cooking we made a Toilet Paper Roll Bird

          Feeder.)

   16. When cookies are done, let them cool.

   17. Once cooled, put string through the holes and then go hang

          them up around your yard. We hung them in places where we

         would be able to watch them from the house. Don’t be surprised

         if the squirrels love your cookies. That’s who hate all the ones

         that were in our backyard!

   

Materials for Toilet Paper Bird Feeder:

Ø  Cardboard Toilet Paper Roll

Ø  Peanut butter

Ø  Butter Knife

Ø  Small Plate/Tray

Ø  Wild Bird Seed in a small tray (from above)

Ø  String

Ø  Scissors for string

Directions:

1.   I used the butter knife to spread the peanut butter onto a small plate.

2.   Cameron rolled the t.p. roll in the peanut butter the best that he could.

3.   I then used the butter knife to help spread some of the peanut butter all the way around.

4.   Cameron then rolled the t.p. roll in the bird seed and sprinkled the seed all over it.

5.   I cut a string and sent it through the center of the roll and tied it so it would hang.

We then took all of our bird goodies outside and hung them up. We even lined our front porch with them since Cameron would have a good view of them there. Cameron checked them throughout the day to see if any friends were visiting.

 

(Yes, our fence needs to be painted! =] )

**Next Week**
Artwork that will last!

Author: Kim M.

How She Does It: Kim M.

This week “How she does it” is about a former teacher turned stay-at-home-mom (SAHM). Kim is very talented and crafty. She is our Crafty Friday blogger for www.chroniclesofmoms.com and she inspires many of the moms with her crafty ideas. As a teacher, Kim knows how to teach young kids and as result, her toddler son excels in speech and numbers earlier than other kids. With two kids, it's needless to say how busy she is, yet she manages to have time to blog, craft with her son, and spend time with her friends and family. She also is a breast feeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing, and a baby food making mama! How does she do it? Let’s see!

1.   Kim, please briefly introduce yourself.

Thank you so much for that introduction. It makes me sound so busy, maybe that's why I am tired all the time! Well, I am from Michigan and met my husband in college. He is from IL, so I moved back here with him. We have been married for almost 5 years and have 2 children. Cameron is 2 and Kylynn is 10-months old. I am a teacher and have taught many different age levels; preschool, second grade, and middle school (6-8^th). However, at the current time I am a stay-at-home-mom and loving every minute of it!

2. How do you juggle being a mom of 2, wife, and yet have “me” time?

    Truthfully, I have not figured it out yet! I just keep trucking along and hope that everyone is still alive by the end of the day. Ha! One thing I do is try to be organized and create schedules. On my fridge is a calendar that I fill in with all of our meals for the week. Sunday night I go through my kitchen and figure out what I can make and how I can turn leftovers into new meals that same week. I also try to make a lot of an item and then freeze it for quick and easy meals during the week. This allows me to have more time for the lil' ones or cleaning. Hubby and I also try to share the cleaning responsibilities!   Which is so nice that he helps out! I might be home all day, but there is not a lot of time for scrubbing and disinfecting! We also know that when we each take one child, it is still hard to get things done. So, in the evening we take turns watching both so that one of us can get something done or have some “me” time. Today I got to sit on the couch wrapped up in a blanket while I drank some hot tea and hubby played with the kiddos. It was so nice! Just 10 minutes to myself is sometimes just enough to recharge me. =]

3. You make your own baby food. Where do you get recipes and how do you have time to do it? Is it time consuming?

    I did make my own baby food for both kids.  The website I used was: wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com.  It is such a fabulous website! I would use fresh or frozen fruit and veggies. At the beginning of the feeding  stage,  I would cook both fruit and veggies first. I would then blend them using my magic bullet. (Love that lil' machine!) Then, I would flavor them sometimes. Cameron LOVED zucchini blended with cinnamon! I would make most of the baby food during the day. Normally I would start cooking something in the morning. Then, blend it up before the first morning nap. During nap I would put what I would use for the next couple of days in the fridge and then freeze the rest in ice cube trays. So, it wasn't a lot of time. And I will also take a little more time if it will save me a little more money!

4. You use cloth diapers for both of your kids. Why cloth diapering?

     Cloth diapers was not something I was thinking about using when I first got pregnant. But when you are pregnant, you start researching things online like a crazy lady and want to do what you think is best!   So, I found that cloth diapers meant less chemicals on my baby and money saved over time. The less chemical sold me and less money appealed to my husband.

5. What are your favorite cloth diapers? Why?

   

If I could have any kind.....All-in-Ones would probably be my first pick. They are what they are called, everything you need, just put it on like a disposable! Easy! Brand...not sure. Researching different brands is addicting and so I would probably end up with a few different brands of AIOs.

6. For a while you had 2 in cloth diapers. Was it a lot of work? How often do you do your laundry?

It was a lot of work, but mainly with laundry. We saved money by not having to buy diapers for Kylynn and with 2 kids doing the same thing, made it a great choice! The work was having to do diaper laundry everyday, along with the normal laundry you do as a mom. I just had to keep the laundry schedule going and try not to get behind. Thank goodness Cameron decided he wanted to be potty trained early! And I won't get into the 5 day power outage and 2 in cloth...oh what fun! =]

7. How do you come up with craft ideas you do with your son?

   

    The preschool teacher experience definitely helps out with coming up with ideas for crafts and other projects. I also have a few books that I go to and online sites are great. I love pinterest.com! I just saw an idea on there that I will be using for our NSNMC blog. Can't wait to share!! The local library also has lots of books for projects to do with little ones. They are a great resource!

8. Does he always enjoy crafting with you? How do you get him

    involved?

     He does love doing all the projects that we do. Since he is 2, he does get frustrated sometimes if something he is doing is not working out how he wants it. I like that though! He is learning how to work with art supplies, to have patience, and that creating things can take work.

9. How is your son with his little sister? Tips for new second time moms?

   

     Cameron is great, most of the time! (Cameron and Kylynn are almost 17 months apart) Since the day we brought her home, he has loved her. He wasn't jealous and the transition was easy. I do feel like it went smoothly because we were prepared and knew how to make it work. Bringing home a baby that makes a child no longer an only child can be hard on the lil one. So we started from the beginning. When he met her at the hospital the baby had a gift for him. He of course loved that! When we brought her home, we let Cameron check her out, touch her, and had him show her some toys. We did everything around Cameron. Not that the baby was less important, but if the parents act like the new baby is the new best thing, there is going to be problems. Breastfeeding takes time and patience and to do that with a toddler wanting your attention makes it difficult. I never made him go away for feedings. I had a special basket of toys or books that he played with while I fed Kylynn. This made feeding time fun for all. This is where I would also have him to do some type of easy coloring project. Now he was sitting at the table with a neat coloring page and I could feed the baby. We also taught Cameron and Kylynn to share with one another right away. We would have Cameron ask Kylynn for a turn if he wanted what she had. Baby toys are always more interesting when the baby is playing with them! =] Kylynn would “respond” with yes or we would say that he could have a turn in 5 minutes. This helped to teach him that sometimes you have to wait for the toy you want. Teaching him this early has been a blessing. When playing at the park he had the language to express what he wanted to other kids. It was so great, and funny, to hear him say, “I have turned in 5 minutes?” Instead of ripping a toy out of another kid's hand. Now that he is older, we are introducing some new strategies to use with Kylynn. He thinks it’s funny to take toys from her. Won't do it to others, just her.

10. Is it hard to juggle 2 kids now? How is a typical outing with 2 kids   alone like for you?

    I would say it is easier now. The first 3 months were challenging, but we got through it! With outings, it is not as hard as I thought it would be. But I didn't realize working around naps would be such an issue. Kylynn naps from 9:30-11:30, Cameron naps from 1:30-3:30, and Kylynn naps again at 2:30, so we don't have a long timeframe to get out of the house. Especially since we have to eat lunch in between the naps. So that is the issue I am dealing with at the moment, and it's very frustrating!

11. What is your mom and wife’s philosophy or rules you go by?

     “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Cheesy yes, but it is the motto I have lived by due to being a teacher. That's why I have the food schedule on the fridge, playdates scheduled, and activities for Cameron to do while at home. I need to keep the lil' man busy or he gets cabin fever. I also try to keep a cleaning schedule. If I can clean at least one room during the day, I feel like I accomplished something. 

12. What’s the one thing you would have done differently as a mom?

    One thing that pops in my head is more playtime with kids. It's hard being a stay-at-home-mom of two and getting out. Let alone meeting up with moms that live in my area with children Cameron's age. I feel guilty sometimes that we are at home playing when we could be trying to meet up with other moms and kiddos. It's just so hard with their opposite nap schedules. We miss out on his library class and open gyms because of it. With that said, I will be trying to get out more. The naps will have to adjust!

13. Do you think it’s important to carve time for just you and your husband?

Definitely! However, it's difficult! We mainly get some time to ourselves after they both go to bed. Which I'm sure is true for most couples. Throughout the week we mainly use that time after they go to bed to sit on the couch and watch TV, a movie, or get on the internet. It's very funny when we find ourselves sitting on the couch together, both on our laptops. Got to love technology! And either Friday or Saturday we will have a drink and play some type of card game or board game. Yup, we are dorks. ha

14. How often do you have date nights?

 
You had to ask...I am so embarrassed to say this. We actually just went out for my husband's birthday a couple weeks ago. That is the first time we have had a date night in OVER A YEAR! Isn't that sad!?! We sat there at the restaurant in disbelief. So we are going to start doing it more. We need to get out by ourselves more and the kids need to be use to us not being there all the time. It's good for all of us!

15.  Any other things you may want to share with fellow moms? Any tips and tricks that may be helpful for them?

Hmmm, I have been recommending the potty training process that I used with Cameron a lot these days, so I could share that:

    We used the ebook from 3daypottytraining.com and it worked fabulously! From the teacher side, please get in the habit of reading to your child before bed each night. It truly makes a difference in their reading abilities. Also, it's never too early to start reading to your little one. Kylynn gets read to before each nap and at bedtime. We also do “library time” during the day where we pull out a basket of books and we all read. Cameron likes “reading” to Kylynn.