Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Day 31 - Giveaway Take Two

Ok, so my first giveaway was not too successful. I'm new at this so give me a little slack. I want to do one that really gets people involved and interested. So, this next one is aimed at all the expecting mamas out there. I am putting together a bag of goodies that will be up for grabs starting next weekend. In the next couple of days, I will post pictures of the items as well as descriptions and reviews. I hope this gets you all interested in trying out some of these great products! Check back tomorrow for the first item! 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Day 30 - New Job

I got the job with Cultural Care Au Pair! So excited! I start training tomorrow.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Day 29 - Easy Oven Grilled Cheese Pizza



Baby girl is teething up a storm today so I haven't really had time to do anything, including feed the munchlet (as Connor is fondly known). Add to that the fact that we have basically nothing easy to make in the house and I came up with this recipe on the fly.

Oven Grilled Cheese Pizza:

Here's what you need:

Bread
Cheese (any kind you like)
Butter
Pizza Sauce (ready made or homemade)

Here's what I did:

Turn oven as hot as possible but not on broil. Butter one side of the bread just like you would for grilled cheese. Put bread, butter side up, on cookie sheet. Add cheese to cover top of bread but stay away from the edges a bit. Place in oven until cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and cut bread into 1" strips. Serve hot on plate with pizza sauce for dipping.

Here's what we thought:

I used cheddar cheese because it is what we had. However, you really could use any type of cheese you want. I think I will try it with mozzarella next time. Connor loved this simple recipe. He ate a piece and a half of bread in about 10 minutes. I thought it would be cleaner because he could dip the toast into the pizza sauce. Unfortunately, my tot decided he would stick his finger in the sauce and spread that unto his bread instead of dipping it. It also lead to some pizza sauce finger painting but I didn't mind because he was loving it.


Hope you all enjoy!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Day 28 - Trick or Treating at the Zoo

As Connor and Cayleigh are still too little to actually go trick or treating, we decided to take them to the zoo instead. Our local zoo hosts "The World's Largest Halloween Party" every weekend in October and today we finally got the chance to go.

What it is:

"The World's Largest Halloween Party" is a partial walk through the zoo with various themes throughout. Their slogan is "be seen, not scared," so it is especially great for the littles in your family. Some of the themes include Disney characters, dinosaurs, video games, animals, etc. For each theme, there's also a booth or two giving out treats which can include candy, activity sheets, and little trinkets. It is very well attended and a local favorite for many families during the Halloween season.

What we thought:

Last year, we got the chance to take Connor, but he was still too young to really care what was going on. In fact, he fell asleep halfway through. This year, not only did he stay awake, he managed to walk more than half of it. Cayleigh was awake the whole time too, but was not in the mood to participate. (I think it had something to do with Geof stuffing her in her costume.) Overall, it was a fun family activity that is quickly becoming a family tradition. With more and more places limiting or frowning upon trick or treating and the safety aspect involved, it's nice to have somewhere safe and fun to take the kids.


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Day 27 - Family Photographs

Today we had our first ever family photographs taken. Thanks to Randi, of Randi Underwood Photography, I would call the day a success!

What we did:
I decided to go with purple, green and grey colors for us to wear. I think it is a very flattering combo and I love bold colors. Randi came up with the location, Papa John's Business Park. She had taken photos there before and thought the location would be perfect with the colors I chose. Having never been there, I was unsure what to expect but it was perfect. There was water, trees and lots of different spots to take great pictures. We did family pictures and some of just the kids. Even with two young kids in tow, pictures took only 40 minutes.

What I thought:
Randi did an amazing job working with us and with the kids in particular. She never lost patience, even when we were almost 15 minutes late. Of course, Connor chose this day to be a handful and not smile for most of the pictures. If you know Connor than you would know that he loves pictures and acts like a ham to have his picture taken. I was amazed at his behavior. Randi, however, was very skilled at telling us what to do to get him to smile and make great pictures when he wasn't. I would have been completely lost and would have given up 10 minutes in if not for her. So, thanks to Randi of Randi Underwood Photography we will have amazing family pictures! I can't wait to see all of them!

Randi photographing Connor

If you are interested in having Randi take photos for you, here are her websites: http://www.underwoodphotostudio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RandiUnderwoodPhotography 

Day 26 - Another off day

So, Cayleigh refused to sleep. I managed to get her to take two 20 minute naps during the day and only on me. Add to that a demanding toddler and nothing got done. So my question of the day is: Does anyone have any tips or ideas on how to get a baby who refuses to sleep to nap? Night time is never an issue, only naps. I'm open to anything!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Day 25 - Story Time

Today I took the kids to story time at the local library. I used to love taking Connor to story time when he was a baby but haven't been able to take Cayleigh until today. I also got to take Connor to the toddler story time for the first time today too. I've really been missing out!

What it is:

Our local public library system has story times at least once a week for various age groups. The one closest to us, St. Matthews, does baby and toddler story time on Thursdays at 10:15 and 11:15 respectively. Baby story time is for ages 0 to 2 and mainly consists of songs. We sing songs like Twinkle, Twinkle and Row, Row, Row Your Boat and The Itsy, Bitsy Spider and do actions along with them to engage the little ones. After about 20 minutes of songs we get to play time. Today, we did bubbles. The reading lady blew bubbles for all the babies and the mommies got a chance to talk some. The toddler story time is a bit more structured. It is for ages 2 to 4 mainly so the kids can pay attention longer. We open with a couple songs and then we read a book. After a couple more songs, we read another book and then closed with a song. After all that, there was a craft to do. Today, we colored an activity page.

Why I like it:

I love that it gets us out of the house and doing something different. I also really like the socialization aspect of it. My kids got to see, talk and play with other littles and I got to talk to other mommies. The songs are usually ones everyone knows so it is easy to join in. If it is a new song or one that is not so popular the reading lady teaches it first and all songs are sung twice. The books are age appropriate and the songs and rhymes go along with the book theme.

What I dislike:

I, like a lot of other mommies out there, had to take my kids to both story times. The mixing of the older and younger kids leads to some general confusion but it is not a deal breaker since everyone still has fun. The other thing I dislike is that some of the moms talk through story time. It makes everything louder and more confusing.


All in all, story time is a must have in your weekly schedule. So, look up your local library and see what they have. I know that Pottery Barn Kids also does a weekly story time if you have one of them near you.      

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Day 24 - Citrus Lane

I am in love with this monthly subscription box for kids (newborn to 3). I thought I would talk a bit about it since Connor got his first box this month and because there is a groupon available for it right now.

What is it:

Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box created specifically for babies and toddlers. Each month they create a box based on parent recommendation and centered on a theme. The box can include toys, books, food and parenting essentials.

Why I like it:

When you get the box in the mail it has a splash of yellow on it which immediately attracts the attention of any tot in the room. Connor was no exception and I only managed to get one picture before he was pulling everything out of the box and demanding I open everything so he could use it. The theme for October was "Fall Fun". Each box is tailored to your child's age and development. Inside the box for my toddler was the following:
  • A pouch of Ella's Kitchen "big smiles cheesy potatoes with veggies"  ($2.49)
  • A Munchkin Toddler Dip Dish ($5.99)
  • An Oball by Rhino Toys ($4.99)
  • A bottle of BabyGanics Smooth Moves Daily Lotion ($5.49)
  • I Can Do it Too! by Karen Baicker book ($9.99)
  • a DHC Deep Cleansing Oil mini for mama ($4.99)
Connor loved the book and I thought it was great too. The toddler dish was a big hit because Connor loves his dipping sauces but hates it touching other things. The Oball was a hit too because Connor could play with Cayleigh, rolling and tossing it about without me worrying it would hurt her. I liked the BabyGanics lotion because it doesn't have an overpowering smell and is plant based. The only downsides to this box were the Ella's Kitchen ouch and the DHC oil. While Connor usually goes for Ella's Kitchen and loves the pouches, he didn't like this flavor at all. That was sad but not their fault since I didn't even know he wouldn't like it. As to the oil, I won't use it and I'm not interested in thing for me in my kid's boxes. Luckily, they only do something for mama every few months so it is usually all for baby. Oh, and if you want to know how much that totals, it's $33.94. However, the monthly cost is only $25. While that doesn't seems to be that much of a savings, I had a discount code for the first month for 50% off. That means I got $33.94 worth of stuff for just $12.50!



Oh, and I have great news for you! There is a groupon at this link
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-subscription-to-citrus-lane?c=all&p=16
for a 3 month Citrus Lane Subscription for only $35! That's $40 off! It's only for new members though so don't buy it if you already subscribe.

Also, if you use this link
https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Belinda.Miller
I get $15 credit towards my next box. So if you are subscribing based on my review please use this link.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Day 23 - Winter Cupcakes

Today, I had my second cupcake decorating class. We focused on winter/holiday cupcakes: Christmas trees, ornaments, snowmen, and even hot chocolate (the ones with the candy cane bits). We also made two different cake pops: Santa hats & ornaments. My favorite cupcakes were the snowmen cupcakes that we made, but the hot chocolate cupcakes had the cutest idea. However, all of the cupcakes were very cute and I definitely would make them again. The cake pops, on the other hand, need a lot of work.




Here's the directions to make the snowman cupcake:

What you need per cupcake:

A cupcake
White frosting
Two chocolate chips
Five or six mini chocolate chips
One chocolate graham cracker
One orange slice gummy
Crystallized sugar to cover

What you do per cupcake:

Frost cupcake as smoothly as possible.
Press cupcake top into bowl of crystallized sugar.
Find the middle of the cupcake and place the large chocolate chips slightly above center line for eyes.
Cut out the nose from the orange gummy and insert slightly below eyes for nose. It can be any shape you want.
Using mini chocolate chips, make the snowman's smiling mouth.
Take half of a graham cracker (two of the little partitions), and cut out a rectangle shape and half of an oval very carefully and slowly with a serrated knife to avoid cracking.
To place graham on cupcake, take serrated knife and finding the line of the cupcake where the top of the cupcake and the liner meet. Very gently, slice at horizontal opening to the level of the snowman's eyes.
Insert rectangle into slot.
Using frosting, place frosting on flat edge of the half oval piece and place vertically on top of rectangle to complete to form the hat's brim.
Use any color frosting to decorate hat.


That is a snowman cupcake!

What I thought:

I really enjoyed this class and I'm sad that it's over. I'm looking forward to making some of these cupcakes for my family & friends. Hopefully, I will be taking another class in the spring.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Day 22 - A Job Interview

Today I had a job interview with Cultural Care Au Pair. It went great but I won't know if I got the job until next week. Even if I don't get the job, I thought I would share some about the company with you guys. 

What it is: 

Cultural Care Au Pair is childcare mixed with a cultural exchange program. The au pair lives with your family while doing up to 45 hours of childcare a week. The au pair joins the family for activities and meals and is treated as an extended family member. The great thing about this program, other than fostering cultural exchange, is that it is more affordable and flexible than hiring a local nanny or babysitter. It averages out to about $350 a week or about $7.80 an hour. What makes it even better? They have discounts for military families, families with multiples, repeat families and the occasional discount for everyone, as well as payment plans.

Why I like them over others: 

Cultural Care doesn't just get random people from other countries to act as au pairs. They put their candidates through thorough screening and background checks before accepting them into the program. Then, once the au pairs get to the U.S., they attend a training school where child safety and development are reviewed. They also go above and beyond the U.S. Dept of State's requirements for au pair programs.


So, if you are looking into childcare or are looking for something different, look into Cultural Care Au Pair. It's a great way to teach your kids about cultural diversity and give a young adult the chance to experience America.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Day 21 - iPad 2

Today we went shopping at Best Buy and I finally broke down and bought an iPad for the family. It is amazing! I love that I can put apps on it for Connor to play with and not be concerned that he is calling people or playing with something he shouldn't. Also, there are apps that are good for his speech therapy that the therapist recommended so I know he is getting something from it more than mindless entertainment. I love it for myself because it has a camera, webcam for skype and other apps to make my life easier. I would love to hear some suggestions on what apps you like for yourself, your family or your kids! Leave me a comment with your suggestions as well as your email and you are entered to win a Hushabye Baby Lullaby renditions of Taylor Swift CD!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day 20 - Pumpkin Patch Visit

Today we did something old and new. We visited a local pumpkin patch and got our pumpkins for Halloween. It's something we have done in the past true, but we went to a new place this time.

What it is:

On Saturday, we went to Sunny Acres Farm for their Pumpkin Festival. It is a little farm on the outskirts of the city that we had never heard of before. For the festival, they had a petting zoo, some bouncy castles, food and hayrides. They also had their corn maze and pumpkins in the pumpkin patch or at their store. For the older kids there was face painting and a scavenger hunt too.

What we did:

We went around the barn area and saw all the animals. It wasn't really a petting zoo since most of the animals were in cages but they did have a pony, a horse, a rabbit and a little pig you could get close to. After our toddler got bored looking at the animals (it took awhile), we went and played in the bouncy castles for a bit and then had a hayride. Connor had tons of fun doing both of these things and it was great to see him so happy and experiencing new things. After that, we went up to the store area and took some pictures of Connor in the pumpkin area and on the little toy tracker they had. It was super cute! We wrapped up the visit by picking out our pumpkins.

What we thought:

We had a great time but it was small and not set up great. It would have been nice if the petting zoo was more localized and more of a petting zoo than farm animals in cages. Altogether it was a fun day but we will probably go some place else next year.     

Day 19 An off day

For those of you looking for a post on Friday, I am sorry I didn't post. Cayleigh had her 6 month check up and didn't handle the shots very well. Add to that a mommy who was still recovering from a cold and nothing got done. Cayleigh weighed in at 16lbs 9oz and is 24.5in long. Thankfully she is doing much better now.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Day 18 Monthly Subscription Boxes

A couple months ago I decided to try out a couple different monthly subscription boxes. I found the idea by seeing an ad for one on the side of my facebook main page. I can never decide on just one so I got a couple of them and thought I would share what I have found so far.

What it is:

For those of you who don't know what these are it's really easy to explain. It is a box of items that is sent to you monthly. What's great about them is the fact that you can find a subscription for just about anything. We have tried so far:

Picky Bunny (Gently loved clothes for Baby/Toddler)
Bluum (Items for Baby & Mom)
Ecocentric Mom (Items for Pregnancy, Baby, Mom)
Citrus Lane (Toys and must haves for Baby/Toddler)
Love With Food (Food Samples)
Birchbox Man (Grooming and lifestyle items for Guys)

What we thought:

Picky Bunny: We got two monthly subscription boxes from Picky Bunny (1 for each child) and used it for only two months. You can get one of four different plans: budget, basic, boutique, or bundle. We chose the budget bunny because it fit our lifestyle the best.  The clothes were in great condition and some even came with the tags still on. In the first boxes the sizes weren't right and they didn't do a great job matching the clothing items with what I requested. After sending them an email about it they quickly gave my a partial refund and made sure they had everything correct in their system. The second boxes we got from them were all the right sizes and better fit my preferences but still weren't great. We decided it was easier to go to a consignment sale or other secondhand shop and get what we really want rather than depending on someone else to basically read our minds.

Love With Food: I was really excited for this monthly box because it is food and because for every box you buy they donate a meal to a charity. However, when the box came the first time it was not all that thrilling. The sample sizes are small and the theme was not to our liking. The theme was "Getting back into skinny jeans". I don't know about you but when I want to try new food items as a splurge I don't want a bunch of healthy foods. The samples did taste ok but they also forgot one of the items for our box. I contacted customer service and they responded right away that they were sending me the missing item. I was rather shocked and pleasantly surprised to find about 12 of the sample item in the mail a week later. The second box was also not very thrilling though. The box was a back to school theme and had a bunch of snacks you could throw into a kid's lunch. My toddler ate the applesauce pouch right away but we haven't even looked at the other items again since it came. I guess I was hoping for something a little more adventurous and something with better themes. We cancelled this one after two months as well.

Birchbox Man: I got this one to see if my picky husband would branch out and try anything new for his pampering routine. Seriously, he takes more time getting ready than I do. Anyway, we have gotten 2 boxes and it is definitely a keeper. They send samples but they are nice size samples and if you like an item you can go on their site and get the full size product for a discount. The first box had shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser, body powder, cologne, and a pair of boxers. My hubby liked everything nut the shampoo and conditioner (then again all he will use is Herbal Essences). The second box came with some shaving oil, face/body cleanser, hair styling cream, cologne, a jigger and whiskey stones. There was also a gift card for $10 to an online whiskey store. My husband loves this box and looks forward to it now. I would highly recommend getting the men in your life a subscription to Birchbox Man as a gift.     

As to the Ecocentric Mom, Bluum and Citrus Lane boxes, I will have to let you know in another couple weeks. We have only gotten one box of each so far and I like to give most companies a couple chances to wow me before I decided if I like them or not.      

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Day 17 ABC Kids Expo Day 2

Ok, so I promised more on the ABC Kids Expo and I finally have some time to sit down and give you all a summery of what it is and what I did.

What it is:

The ABC Kids Expo is the leading trade show for all things baby and child related. It is not for the public but is for the manufacturers, sellers and buyers in the field. For example, if you have a store related to kids, you would go here to find new products to sell. If you have a product, you would have a booth at the expo to find people to buy your product for their stores. Etc. It has everything from baby gear to toys to furniture to clothes. It was HUGE and so much fun to be able to go.

What I did:

I heard about it from the local babywearing group. Baby K'tan was looking for people to model their baby wrap and I jumped at the opportunity. On Sunday, I modeled Cayleigh in the Baby K'tan for 3 hours and then I got free rein to look around and see what was new in the baby and kid world. There was so much stuff that I only saw a small portion of it and had to come back today. I went around the Expo and told companies that I was looking to see what was new and excited so that I could tell all of you what to look forward to (a lot of the new items are not even in stores yet!). There were so many things that interested me and that I want to talk about that I think I will have to do one or two blog posts a week about something new from the ABC Expo.

What you can look forward to:

When many of the people found out that I had a blog, they asked me to blog about their products. Therefore, I will keep my promise and devote a blog post to each company individually. So of them even gave me stuff for giveaways on my blog! I am so excited to be able to share this with all of you. However, I need you to do something for me. Tell your family and friends about my blog so that I get more activity here. The more activity I get, the more giveaways and fun stuff I can do for all of you. And if you are interested to know some of the brands I have stuff from here are a few: Boogie Wipes, Disney Baby and Pampers Kandoo. Remember, these are just a few so please let people know about my blog so we can start the giveaways!      

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Day 16 - Cupcake Decorating Class

Today I attended the first of two cupcake decorating classes. It was a blast and I learned how to make six different fall themed cupcakes. I've always wanted to learn more about cooking and baking and it is great to get out of the house and do something different not mommy related.

What it is:

JCPS has a lifelong learning program that has a bunch of different classes from carpentry to computers. I thought a bunch of the classes would be interesting to take but decided on taking the cupcake decorating class with my mother in law. You can find all their class listings at this site www.lifelonglearning4u.com
I had a great time learning how to make spider, sunflower, apple, pumpkin, owl and scarecrow cupcakes. It was also great that I got to share it with my mother in law. We don't get to spend much time together but whenever we do we have fun. I will also tell you how to make an owl cupcake since that one was the cutest in my opinion.

What you need:

Cupcakes (however many you want to make)
Frosting (you could use either a buttercream or a chocolate)
Butterscotch candies (2 of the circle ones per cupcake)
Chocolate chips (2 per cupcake)
Whole Cashews (1 per cupcake)
Almond slices (a bunch)

What to do:

First, cut the top off the cupcake so that it is flat on top. Spread frosting on the top so that it is smooth. Take the 2 butterscotch candies and place them a little above the halfway point to make the eyes. Use a little frosting to get the chocolate chips to stick in the middle of the butterscotch candies. Take the cashew and place it as the beak, lengthwise. Using the almond slices, place them around the eyes of the owl sticking up but at a slight angle to make feathers. Repeat for all cupcakes.

 

What I thought:  

Learning something new is a great way to get out of the house and keep your mind active. I highly recommend taking a course from your local community college or another lifelong learning if you haven't already. It's never too late to try something new or get more experience. It's also good for your mental health to spend some time away from the kids and focus on yourself for a change. That's something I struggle with all the time. Hopefully this will be the start of me remembering that a happy mommy makes a better mommy.   

Monday, October 15, 2012

Day 15 - Fun at the Science Museum

So, I know I promised more details on the ABC Kids Expo going on right now but I caught a cold and am not up for long posts today. Therefore, I am having my first guest poster so that you all can have something to read and try out for yourselves.

To introduce this person, I've decided to keep it short and simple. The guest poster is my wonderful husband, Geof, and he is going to tell you about his big day out with Connor at the Louisville Science Center.

Connor & The Louisville Science Center, or how to make a toddler miss naptime

While Bela & Cayleigh were busy at the ABC Kids Expo, I finally managed to take Connor to see his Uncle Jared at the science center downtown. I had tried to visit him before (without Connor), but it just didn't work out. Anyway, they have an exhibit of science-teaching activities going on in the main gallery. It is designed for ages 3-7, but as it turns out, a precocious 2 year old does just dandy.

What they had:

A magnetic board that let you put various metallic objects up to it and watch them stick. This was Connor's least favorite thing, partly because it was a little tall for him. His verdict: I will stick this metallic potato masher in my mouth and try to run instead. Luckily, this exhibit has specially marked slobber buckets for easy clean up.

A build-your-own ball roller coaster. You drop balls down guided ramps, where you can put loop-the-loops, curves, hills, and a launch at the end, and see what happens. Connor loved this, and got to the point where he was climbing up the little step to drop balls from the top of the top ramp (around four or five feet!). However, we were both disappointed to learn that dropping a ball from the top ramp didn't have enough velocity to get around five loop-the-loops. His verdict: Apply WD-40 and let me play with it more.

Two block tables. Blocks of different shapes and sizes and colors, all wooden. He quite enjoyed separating them out by color and shape. In fact, he got very irate when there was a whole bunch of green triangles, a whole bunch of blue squares, and one solitary green square. He kept moving it from pile to pile and yelling at it. Jared was there to witness. His verdict: Please paint the green square blue or better yet, cut in half for two green triangles.

A pile of *giant* blue building blocks, of various shapes and sizes. These were much too large for Connor. His verdict: why did Daddy build the monolith scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey with them?

A series of tubes that shot compressed air through it, with diverters and guides. This was super fun. You put a scarf in the opening (or a fuzzy koosh thing), and watched it shoot through the tubes, and out one of the exits. By adjusting the diverters, you could change which hole it shot from. By the time Connor got to this display, he was no longer the only tiny one running around the exhibit, and a couple of the slightly older kids weren't letting him play. He waited his turn very patiently until they ran off, and their dad gave them a little lecture about sharing with little kids. His verdict: I wish I were taller so Daddy didn't have to help me put the scarf in.

The part you've all been waiting for: The Second Part!

That was about an hour and a half of what we did there, but there was a second section of this area that Jared took him to while I ran and got my wallet from the car.

In here, there were tons, and tons, and tons of shapes. There were cubes, squares, eggs, butterflies, flowers, almost anything you could think of. Connor also got a topography lesson when I explained that all shapes in the world are deformations of either a sphere (no hole) or a torus (like a donut). He spent a good forty five minutes pulling shapes from different bins and putting them back into bins. The staff there chatted with Connor a bit. I think everyone but Jared who works there is a 20 year old girl. Anyway, Connor started to throw the ball pit style balls (but only the dark green ones), so I took him to the KidZone, which is also coincidentally their permanent exhibit designed for up to 7's. His verdict on the shapes thing: please provide more green ball pit balls. Seven is an insufficient number for fun.

Slightly further adventures

The KidZone was pretty awesome, but I don't actually remember most of what was in there. I remember a rocket ship play zone, and a airplane play zone, and a ambulance play zone, and a construction play zone, and there was some more stuff. Also a lesson on poison control and a reminder that pills and candy are not the same thing. That part was a little weird. What I do remember is that when they had the old, somewhat smaller KidZone, when Jared and I were little, he was always under seven when we went, but I never got to go. Not even when he was under seven and went and I was under seven and didn't go. So, my excitement on going to the KidZone may have outweighed Connor's at some points. Anyway, he had fun climbing stairs, and making the rocket do its little countdown by pressing a button. He also liked moving all of the little wooden play cars around the airplane zone, and laughed when I started stacking the little wooden buildings. His verdict: Please make rocket actually blast off. Would be extra extra fun. Also, ramps too steep for 10th percentile toddlers. Please correct.

At that point, we were already 40 minutes past nap time, so we waited for Jared to have his lunch break at 1, then ran to Subway for food. Jared is apparently a regular at Subway (as there is an entrance directly from the science center into it, and the science center leases the premises. Connor barely ate, and didn't touch his olives, not even when I let him dip them in the hot sauce. I could tell how tired he was, so at that point, it was time to go home and finally catch up on his nap. Verdict: Subway should provide a sandwich that is just bread and olives. Would buy.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Day 14 - A Great Day

Ok, so today I got to go to the ABC Kids Expo. It was AMAZING. However, I don't have the time today to go into any of the details so I will update with more tomorrow. Let me just say that I made some amazing connections and there may be some giveaways on my blog in the future! Come back tomorrow for all the details!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Day 13 - Oldham County kidstuff Sale

Today my family went to the Oldham County Kidstuff Consignment Sale. It is the first time we ever went to this one.

What we did:

Kidstuff is one of the local businesses that hosts a consignment (secondhand) sale twice yearly in a couple locations around Louisville. The sale is open to the public for about 3 days and most items are half price on the last day. We went in search of some clothes and toys for the kids and got some great deals there. Between this one and our usual Louisville Kidstuff sale we managed to get the kids' fall and winter wardrobes as well as any toy they could possibly need or want for the next year. So, if you are looking for some great deals, search for a consignment sale near you!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Day 12 - PeekaBoo and Where's Baby?

One of the greatest moments for me as a mom is the first time my little one finds peekaboo entertaining. Today was that day!

What you need:

A blanket/sheet/scarf or other things to cover the baby's view (I used a burp cloth)
A mirror

What we did:

I started by putting the burp cloth on Cayleigh's head to see if she would respond at all. She found it so funny she repeatedly took it off and tried to put in on her own head. I then moved into a simple game of peekaboo. I blocked Cayleigh's view of me and then moved the cloth quickly away. Cayleigh maintained eye contact and smiled and laughed every time. Since she was having so much fun, I got the baby mirror and started covering it and asking "Where's baby?". She would grab the burp cloth and stare in the mirror while I said "There she is!" Of course, she's too young to understand it's her in the mirror but she was fascinated by the other baby.

What I would do differently:

Nothing! One of my favorite memories. I still remember Connor's first real game of peekaboo and he still loves it almost 2 years later!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Day 11 - Alphabet Pick Up Game

Connor came up with a brilliant game today and I thought I would share it with all of you. I am calling it the Alphabet Pick Up Game for lack of a better name. If you guys have any suggestions for a better name feel free to comment!

What you need:

Cutout Alphabet letters (I have a bunch that were a present from a friend when Connor was born to decorate things with but I'm sure you could find some at any craft store or make your own.)

What we did:

Connor got into the craft bin and emptied the entire thing out. In it, he found the alphabet letters and started to run from the dining room to the living room, throwing them around. I was going to scold him for making a mess but then I saw how much fun he was having just grabbing each letter and throwing it around the room. So, I decided to make it into a game. As he came running into the room he would hold up the letter for me to see it before he tossed it. I started saying the letter and the sound it made. He got a kick out of this and we continued until all the letters were tossed around. When that happened, I had him pick up a letter and bring it to me. I said the letter name and it's sound and then had him repeat the sound. He is still working on his talking so this not only helps with that but also let me know what he can say easily. We did this until almost all the letters were picked up. He tired himself out so much he actually had to go down for a second nap today.

What I would do differently:

Next time I might say a word that begins with the letter too and see if he can say the word as well as the sound. This is a great way to get your little ones talking and learning. Loved it!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Day 10 - Baby Lap Games

Today I did some research into fun lap games to play with Cayleigh. Basically, a lap game is a song you sing while bouncing, swinging or doing other things with baby. There are a lot out there.

What you need:

Your baby/toddler
A simple song or chant

What you do:

A good example and one Cayleigh really liked is the classic "The wheels on the bus". Almost everyone knows this song so I will just go through the motions I used.

The wheels on the bus go round and round (move baby's arms in gentle circles while singing)
The wipers on the bus go back and forth (move baby's arms from side to side)
The horn on the bus go beep beep beep (move baby's hands like honking a horn)
The doors on the bus go open and shut/close (clap Baby's hands together)

There are some other verses too but I think you all get the idea. I also bounced Cayleigh gently to make it seem like we were in a car/bus. It's fun and simple and really entertains a small child. My toddler loves them still too.  We also did "I'm a little tea pot", "We're going on a bear hunt", "Itsy bitsy spider", "Twinkle twinkle little star" and "Acca bacca soda cracker".

What I would do differently:

Next time I am hoping to learn some new ones to try out too. Oh, and one of the best places to go learn new sings is at one of the Louisville Library's story times. I'm thinking about going next week. It will be another first!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Day 9

Today Cayleigh and I were still sick and Connor took advantage of that. I spent the day chasing around a toddler who refused to listen or stay out of trouble. Come back tomorrow for something new!

Oh, and it isn't really a new activity but for my something new today I did actually have an interview for a job. It's a part time work from home job that seems really interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing whether or not I get a call back.

Day 8 - The Dragonriders of Pern Book Review

Today, since the kids were still sick, and so am I, I decided to read a new book. As some of you may have heard, one of my favorite authors, Anne McCaffrey, died last November. I found this out about a month ago. Her last book Sky Dragons was written with her son, Todd McCaffrey. It came out not too long ago.

What's it all about:

Sky Dragons is the last book set in the universe of the Dragonriders of Pern. However, it's not the last chronologically. I'm not going to go into that much detail on this book specifically, but will give you a brief summary of the Pern universe.

In the distant future, humans spread out and colonized many planets. Pern is settled by colonists wishing to escape war and technology. A few years after the colonists settle, they are attacked by an organism that falls from the sky and devours all organic material it touches, including humans. Naming the organism thread, the colonist band together to fight for their planet and their lives. As a last defense, they create dragons from the native firelizards. These dragons form a connection, called impression, with a human partner. Together, dragons and humans fight thread from the sky and Pern survives.

What I think of the series:

The Dragonriders of Pern series is one of my all time favorites. I read the entire series about one a year and it never get old. I am so sad that Anne McCaffrey will not write another book because I looked forward to reading each new one as soon as it came out. 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Day 7 - Dance Party

Today's activity was simple yet a ton of fun. We held Cayleigh's first dance party.

What you need:

Music and/or someone singing

What we did:

We played some music and danced around with the kids until they were worn out. Then, after a little break, we sang them every kids' song we could think of while having them do silly motions. We also did lots of tickle time and silly faces.

What we would do differently:

Nothing! It was a blast and even more fun since the whole family was involved. I always feel happier and closer to my husband after doing a great family activity.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Day 6 - Ocean Perch Recipe

Well, I was going to do an activity with the whole family today but both of the kids are sick. So I tried out another recipe instead.

Ocean Perch (My own recipe):

7 small ocean perch fillets
2 lemons
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t parsley
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t garlic powder

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put frozen fish fillets into a 9x13 baking dish so that they don't touch. Squeeze the juice of one lemon directly onto the fish. Cut the other lemon into slices and place them around the pan, not covering any fish fillet completely. Mix all the spices together and then sprinkle over entire dish using fingers. Bake for 13 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

What we thought:

For those of you who don't like spice I would reduce it to 1/8 to 1/4 t or eliminate it altogether. It had a little bit of a kick to it but we like that in this house. Also, we like lemon so the fish was very lemony in flavor. If you aren't that big of a fan of lemon, just use one and follow the cut it into slices directions. We all liked it here so it is definitely going into the "use again" file.

If you try this out please let me know what you thought!  

Friday, October 5, 2012

Day 5 - Mexican Pie

Today for dinner we tried a new recipe called Mexican Pie.

The recipe: Mexican Pie (www.mommyskitchen.net) (mommyhatescooking.com)

1lb ground beef, browned
1 packet taco seasoning
1 15oz can corn, drained
1 8oz can tomato sauce
Shredded Mexican Style 4 Cheese Blend
Flour Tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook and drain ground beef, then add seasoning as instructed on package. Spray pie pan with cooking spray and pour beef on the bottom. Top the beef with the corn, and pour tomato sauce over, spreading it out evenly. Cut the tortillas into narrow strips and place them on top like you would a pie. Top the tortillas with cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
 

What I did differently:

I used frozen corn instead of canned and cheddar cheese instead of the Mexican. We also topped ours with sour cream and olives once it was cooked.

What we thought:

It was a big hit! The hubby and my toddler both loved it. Will definitely make it again and, as a plus, it was super easy and quick to make. 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Day 4 - Outside Adventure

Today there were a lot of firsts for my family. I took my kids outside to play in the backyard for the first time. Now, don't get me wrong, I have taken my kids out to play in the park, to the zoo and for walks so they do get out. However, today was the first time I took them to the backyard. This summer has been so hot that I didn't want to take the baby out for long. Oh, and I had that whole recovering from a massive blood clot thing this summer too. Today was perfect though. So I decided not to waste the day and let them play in the yard.

What you need (of course all of these are optional):

Yard
Sunscreen
Toys
Waterproof blanket
(and if you have a pet like we do) Fence

What we did:

First, I got out the sunscreen and covers the kids' faces and ears (and in Cayleigh's case, her head too!). Then, I got out the waterproof blanket for the first time. We got it for summer picnics but that never happened. It works great for a baby play area! Connor ran straight to his T-ball set and wanted to play with that and then switched over to the basketball. He's not tall enough to throw it into the basket himself so he made me do it.

While Connor and I were playing with his toys, Cayleigh was busy discovering grass. I placed her on the blanket so that she was on her stomach with her hands over the edge. She was so fascinated that she stayed like that for 10 minutes without complaining! She had a blast feeling the grass and looking at it. When she was done with that I picked her and the blanket up and put then inside the screened porch were she could watch Connor and me play and I could see her.

What I would change:

Nothing! It was a great afternoon outside with the kids and I am so happy I got the chance to do it.


Oh, and the other first of the day was: Cayleigh sat by herself! Go Cayleigh! Pictures to come...

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Day 3 - The Mortal Instruments Book Review

Today I am reading a new series, The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare. I am a couple chapters into the second book in the series, City of Ashes, and I just started it this morning. Thanks to fellow mommy's group member, Courtney, for introducing me to this series!

What is it?

Miboxed set.jpg 
The Mortal Instruments is a young adult series consisting of six books. The first five books are out but the last one will not be out until early 2014. Here is a list of the books and the order they were written:

City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
City of Heavenly Fire

What are they about?

City of Bones introduces Clary Fray, a seemingly normal teenager living in Brooklyn. While out at a club one night she witnesses three teens murder someone. However, she is the only person who can see the murderers. Clary starts to realize that that is not the only strange thing going on when the body disappears and there is no evidence left behind. This one unexpected event launches Clary into a world filled with demons and those that hunt them, the Shadowhunters.

What I thought:

If you liked Harry Potter and other similar books than you will love this series. It has all the action, romance and danger that Twilight has but without all the awkward moments and it's better written. So far, I am really liking this series and it is hard for a book to grab my attention lately. So, if you have the time, grab a cup of coffee or tea and curl up with these books!     
            

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Day 2 ­­­- Fun with Shaving Cream Activity

Today I decided to do a new activity with my little man. Connor is 2 and full of energy these days. Unfortunately, I have been slacking on doing crafty, messy things with him. This is partly because I also have a 5 month old and partly because he dislikes touching a lot of different textures. Today I decided to give it a shot anyway and did what I call "Fun with Shaving Cream".

Here's what you need:

Shaving cream
Food coloring (optional)

After raiding the hubby's shaving kit, we set up the living room for the mess to come by laying down towels and moving everything away (I'm going to have to set up a craft spot downstairs from now on).  I then stripped Connor down to his diaper (I also need to buy an apron for him) and grabbed one of the bedside tables we have to use as a counter top for him. For the shaving cream I went with 2 different colors, blue and yellow, so that when he mixed them it would turn another color.

Here's what we thought:


 

After poking it a couple times, Connor decided it might be fun but only if I got messy too. I had to show him that it was ok to make a mess and smear it all over of table. He finally got his hands covered but it turned into me mostly playing with the shaving cream and him watching. Don't get me wrong, he had a blast watching and laughed a lot, but it wasn't quite the same as him playing with it. So, in order to get him involved a bit more, I started writing letters and numbers in it. Then I drew shapes and had him poke the shape I named. I think this was his favorite part, other than the clean up. Overall, Connor was entertained for about 30 minutes and insisted that he help clean it all up when we were done playing.

What I would do differently:

Next time, I will make sure to use plain shaving cream without the aloe. My hands are still tingling from that. Also, it would be fun to have some straws, paintbrushes, sponges and things like that to use.    

Monday, October 1, 2012

Day 1

So, I've finally given in and started my own blog. Unlike a lot of blogs out there, this will not be about me or my family personally (I've never had the ability to keep a journal, let alone keep a baby book updated). Instead, I plan on focusing on the idea of trying something new each day. Each day I will try something new and post about it here. If it is a recipe I will share the recipe and how/if I changed anything while cooking. If it is an activity with the kids I will share the steps taken and how the kids reacted. If it is a date night idea I will let you know the steps involved and how it went. There will be pictures, successes, mistakes and, hopefully, lots of fun for my family. I hope everyone is excited for what is to come!

Oh, and if you are wondering what my new thing for today is, it's starting this blog. I have no idea what I am doing and have a lot of setting and templates to look through to get things going. If you want something more exciting, here's a recipe I tried last night.

Leek and Potato Soup (from epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

3 T butter
3 large leeks (white & light green part only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 1/2 c (or more) chicken stock or canned low salt broth
2 T chopped chives

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat in butter. Cover; cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes begin to soften but don't brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Puree soup until smooth. Thin with additional stock if too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives.

What I changed:

I used 2 leeks and 3 potatoes since that is what I had on hand. I also added about 1 T pepper, 1 T salt, 1/2t garlic, 1/2t onion powder. It took about 2 more cups of stock to thin it down with the extra potato and we didn't add the chives.

What we thought:

Not only was it a new recipe but it was it the first time I made soup not from a can. My husband and I really liked it and we are willing to try it again.