friday fun finds: cake plates and stands

i have always been envious of people that have cool collections in their house. wouldn't these cake plates and stands make a fabulous collection? what do you collect? i would love to know. enjoy!

milk glass wedding cake stand--$95

vintage green glass small cake stand--$11.75

vintage petite cake stand and cloche--$50

cake stand 2 tier victorian--$100

vintage indiana glass amber teardrop cake stand--$30

vintage cake stand glass & chrome--$50

cake plate/stand--$40

vintage cake stand green glass footed pedestal--$52

vintage mid-century painted metal cake plate and cover--$28

vintage 1920's or 1930's nabisco cake tin--$7.50

vintage cake carrier--$16

needlepoint--not just for grandmas

i don't know what it is, but for some reason needlepoint just conjures up the image of grey haired granny's in rockers. while shopping online i came across these *fabulous* needlepoint pillows by jonathan adler and i have changed my tune. at $98 - $178 a pop they seem a little pricey, but oh so worth drooling over. what do you think? would *you* pay that much for a pillow? maybe i need to take up needlepointing myself.......

halloween costumes...the horror!

i love the fall. i love to decorate for the fall. my house is currently full of pumpkins. some people love to decorate for halloween. i'm not one of them. my decorations have to last until i pull out the christmas decorations (this usually happens before thanksgiving.) still, somehow i have gotten caught up in the throws of dressing up my kids for halloween. i don't just let them pick out a costume. no, i let them pick out a costume as long as it fits into my pre-picked theme. i can see the years of therapy lining up already.

last year, my kids were all characters from "the chronicles of narnia..."prince caspian, king peter, lucy, the baby was the lion. seriously...so stinking cute. i have had friends dress their baby up as a bee and then get little bee keeper costumes. this year it was going to be "star wars." they could pick any character i could buy as a costume. can't you just see it...a little ewok, boba fett, princess leia, master yoda. i had it all planned out and, miraculously, the kids were happy to play along.

then i looked at how much this little venture would cost me. i was looking at close to $150.00 for one night. that's when i decided my obsession was a bit ridiculous. it is dark when my kids "trick-or-treat." no one notices how cute they are except for me and while the cuteness does bring me a bit of joy, so does buying them winter clothing.

so, this year i've gone practical. i'll have one boba fett, two characters recycled from last year's "narnia" and one recycled dinosaur from three years ago. it won't be coordinated but it will be affordable and for one night of candy swapping, i think that's the smarter move. i think that matching costumes might be one of those luxuries i have to give up while having a big family. what about you? to match or not to match...i'd love to hear your stories.

travel with infants--step 2: packing for onboard the plane (guest blogger: beth from cloud surfing kids)

travel with infants--step 2: packing for onboard the plane (guest blogger: beth from cloud surfing kids)

the packing can be the hardest part, so here is my advice on how/what to pack:

many people advise to pack minimally. i don't agree. you should *concisely* pack everything you need for worst case scenarios like lengthy delays, unplanned overnights, spit up, and diaper blowouts. illnesses creep up at the least convenient times. on one flight i was working a child vomited on his mom. she was soaked and had no change of clothes. it was just the start of a 7 hour flight. i have learned it's best to always have at least one complete change of clothes for everyone traveling, down to socks and underwear. bring at least 2 spare outfits for baby. always bring some kind of fever reducer just in case.

i pack the following in the diaper bag:

·      small blanket

·       6 diapers

·       travel size diaper wipes case

·       at least 3 small trash bags (for dirty diapers, soiled clothes, or trash--i reuse grocery sacks)

·       3 burp cloths

·       3 bibs if your baby is a drooler

·       2-3 NOISELESS toys (no need to annoy other passengers with anything more than baby crying.)

bright starts buzzin around bee

·       pacifier (multiple ones if baby loves paci)

·       teething tablets

·       1 change of clothes for baby including socks

·       baby sweater

·       snack for me such as luna bar, mixed nuts

·       your purse or wallet (with experience you'll be able to blend this with your diaper bag always.)

·       nursing cover (if nursing)

·       3 empty 4 oz. bottles (if bottle feeding)

·       formula (if using)

both enfamil and similac have formula packets. i love these for traveling!



 then i pack my backpack:

·       1 change of clothes for me (including underwear and socks--put in gallon size ziploc bag)

·       sweater for me

·       additional change of clothes for baby (pack in ziploc bag)

·       additional diapers and wipes (i like to bring 8-12 diapers for a 10 hour travel day.)

·       small magazine for me (don't bother with a heavy book. even if baby sleeps you'll find it difficult to focus on anything for more than a few minutes at a time.)

·       any prescription medicines for me or baby

·       glasses/contacts/phone charger/other essentials

·       ear bud headphones

·       additional snacks for me (maybe an apple and peanut butter and jelly)

·       quart size ziploc bag with baby medicines (tylenol, ibuprofen, teething gel), hand sanitizer, any other liquids you need such as contact solution/lotion/etc.

·       thermometer

exergen temporal artery thermometer--so easy to use and very accurate!

in the airport you can buy water. if you're nursing you're going to be REALLY thirsty on the airplane. plan on at least 1 liter up to 6 hours. buy more water if you'll be using it for the baby's formula. you CAN bring water for bottles/mixed formula/breast milk through security, but if you're able to just buy the water in the airport it will be a much simpler process getting through security.

*Buy at least 1 liter of water for the airplane trip

you could fit all these items in just a backpack, but i find it tends to get too heavy and things become difficult to find. for me it helps keep things organized when using 2 bags. the list looks long, but almost everything is small and will fit easily in 2 easy-to-manage bags. once it's all organized and packed you'll know where everything is and you won't have the stress of needing something you don't have while away from home.

our guest blogger, beth is a flight attendant for a major airline and mom to a curious explorer, "e".  "e" earned elite status at the airline at 20 months. in her blog, "cloud surfing kids", beth gives helpful tips and insight based on her experiences.


in case you missed her first post in this series, you can find it here.

stay tuned for the next two weeks are she continues to provide us with invaluable advise for airline travel (with toddlers this time).

mmmmm, mondays: pumpkin-spice muffins

 

this is the easiest recipe ever! it literally has two ingredients and can be made in a snap. my kids devour these and they are actually pretty good for them. my good friend shared this recipe with me that she had found from somewhere or someone. apparently it is a weight-watchers recipe as well and is only two points per muffin. i wish i knew where to give credit but, unfortunately, we'll just have to thank whomever came up with this fun, fall recipe. enjoy!

pumpkin-spice muffins

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can of pumpkin

mix the two ingredients well. this will take some time as the spice cake mix sometimes takes a while to break down into the pumpkin. spray or line a muffin pan. spoon mixture into muffin pans and bake per the package directions for cupcakes on the spice cake box. cool and enjoy!

friday fun finds: teethers

it used to be that you could only find plastic teethers at stores like target. check out these super cute teethers that are unique and (in most cases) organic too. enjoy!

teething necklace "boho paisley"--$10

minky wooden teething ring--$6

natural wooden teething toy - game baby--$9

owl baby- rattle/teething ring--$15

natural teething wee wood moustache--$12

crocheted turkey leg drumstick teething rattle--$18

plush owl with teethers--$30

finn the organic teething giraffe--$18

organic freeze and chew teething snake--$18

my own handful of joy

i am almost 20 weeks pregnant with baby number 5. we are calling him "cinco." in case you missed that last little pronoun, he is another little boy. we are extremely excited about adding the pinky to our high five. still, the pregnancy road is full of challenges, the biggest of which has been the litany of unwanted opinions shared with us on a regular basis. so, here's my chance to stand on my soap box and share.

i experienced some of the comments with baby number four. now with number five, the comments are even more extreme. i only shared news of my pregnancy with a select few people whom i actually believed would be happy for me. even some of them disappointed in their reactions to our news. so, before you open your mouth to speak to someone about their pregnancy, here are a couple of key things to remember.

number 1: people's personal lives are still theirs, and personal. comments like, "maybe it's time to buy a tv in the bedroom." "were you trying to get pregnant?" "do you know how this happens?" are not really appropriate to anyone at anytime. when someone asked me, "do you know how this happens?" i stood in the middle of my church sanctuary and my mouth hit the floor. "no, i don't know how this happens. can you explain it to me in detail? but hurry, the sermon is about to start." clearly people, after five kids, all planned, we've got the particulars down. forgive me if i don't feel the need to share those details with you. how comfortable would you be if the tables were turned and those same questions were asked to you at any given time. pregnancy is not an excuse to push the boundaries of invading personal space.

number 2: i'm not asking you to have five kids or to raise any of mine. i'm not asking you to contribute to their upbringing or to support them financially. i'm not asking you to be a part of their lives at all unless you are interested. comments such as "well, i can see you are doing your part to contribute to the world's overpopulation," "what are you thinking, having so many kids," or "isn't your life crazy enough?" aren't what anyone wants to hear when sharing baby news. you can think what you want and i would advise knowing what you yourself can handle but don't put your own personal limitations into my family's experience. i wouldn't be happy with no children but i'm not going to judge those who don't feel they want any kids of their own. why should it be any different when i decide to have a hand full?

number 3: if you wouldn't say a comment to the child's face when they are six years old, don't say it about them while they are in the womb. can you imagine looking at a kindergarten aged child and saying, "your parents were crazy to have you," "it was horrible news when we found out you were going to be born," "your parents only had you because they didn't want to move out of the baby stage," "you couldn't have been wanted. five kids is crazy" or "oh no! i can't believe you are a boy. that is awful."? you would be seen as barbaric if you said something like this to a child and yet people have no problem saying this about an unborn baby. (yes, each of the comments i've written so far are ones that have been said to me this pregnancy...crazy, isn't it?)

here's the thing, babies are a blessing. they are miraculous whether they are the first born or the eighth born. there may be unexpected pregnancies but where babies are concerned, i don't think there are any that are mistakes. even if a pregnancy is a surprise (ours wasn't), don't you think the parents are having enough of a hard time just wrapping their heads around the reality of another baby without having to deal with the negative and demeaning comments of others? perhaps we should learn to think before we speak.

so, here are some examples of what you can say when you find out someone, anyone is expecting. "congratulations." "we are so happy for you." "babies are always a blessing." "how wonderful for your family." regardless of what number a baby falls in the birth order, he or she deserves just as much joy and anticipation as the first born. they are no less wonderful or miraculous. the old saying stands incredibly true in this situation: "if you can't say something nice, just don't say anything at all." don't take any opportunity to steal someone else's joy. take the chance to bring someone joy instead. you won't regret that you did.

carving forever pumpkins

i grew up in a home where every holiday was celebrated. there were decorations for each important and not so important day of the year. my parents continue to decorate to this day. here is one of my favorite of their fall decorations, forever pumpkins with the names of each grandchild.you can carve anything into these pumpkins and then pull them out for years to come. love it!

here are the steps:

• purchase hollow, fake pumpkins, 3 inch stencils and a hot knife (pictured).

• stencil the letters or drawings on the pumpkins.

• use the narrow, sharp blade of the tool. carve out your letters being careful not to create a narrow space that will break off. (this means that you may have to adapt some of the letter shapes.)

• cut off the lid of the pumpkin. clean out the pieces inside. use a small battery operated votive candle to light the inside of the pumpkins. enjoy!

travel with infants--step 1: getting to the aircraft (guest blogger: beth from cloud surfing kids)

travel with infants--step 1: getting to the aircraft.


traveling with infants is easier than you think. infants often sleep much of the flight so you can at least breathe once you settle in your seat. the toughest part is getting through security, so that's why i start here.

do yourself a favor and check your suitcase. even if you have to pay a checked bag fee, it's worth it. can you imagine lifting it into the overhead bin while juggling your infant? even if you have baby in a carrier, it will be nearly impossible to safely lift that bag. yes, it would be nice if someone helped you, but you can't count on that. simplify the trip in any area you can. i carry on only a backpack and diaper bag (or combine the two).


you can check your car seat (airlines do not charge for car seats/pack 'n' plays/strollers), or do what I do: use gogobabyz wheelz.

gogobabyz wheelz

gogobabyz has amazing products to assist in air travel and if you fly with the baby more than once a year, the cost is *DEFINITELY* worth it! the infant cruizer comes with an adapter to allow you to use it with a convertible car seat once the baby gets bigger so it's a great investment.


even if the baby will be in your lap, not in her own seat, it's nice to have wheels to push the baby or the bags through the airport. Leave the wheels attached and gate check if the baby does not have a seat.


getting through security:

many large airports have a line at security dedicated to families with children. look for this line where there will be less pressure to rush from the passengers in line behind you.


it's nice to have baby in a front pack/sling/or infant carrier while setting everything on the scanner belt so you can have both hands free.


-remove your ziploc baggie of liquids and place in their own bin. (add to this bin liquid for bottles, if bringing. more advice on this next week.)


-put the backpack and diaper bag straight on the belt (no bin)


-remove your shoes and yes, baby's shoes if he is wearing them. (don't bother with shoes on your infant for airport travel. if the look of shoes is important to you, get trumpette socks.

-if you have the car seat and wheels, detach the wheels and put both through the scanner.


-last, remove baby from carrier and put carrier on the belt.


after walking through the scanner don't feel you have to rush in reassembling, but move out of everyones way. push all your belongings to the end of the belt and assemble in reverse of how you put bags on in the first place:
-put on front pack/sling
-put baby in carrier
-shoes on
-wheels on car seat
-backpack on car seat
diaper bag stacked on backpack


or, of course you can use the infant cruizer the way it's intended and put the baby in. then wear the backpack and carry the diaper bag. (go-go babyz also has a great diaper bag that attaches to the infant cruizer handle.) 


you made it though the toughest part of travel with an infant! next week I'll show you how i pack for the airplane with an infant. 

stay tuned: beth will be blogging with us for the next few weeks sharing her *fabulous* airplane travel tips for infants and toddlers both!


**i do not represent any of the above mentioned companies. i am simply a fan of their products and want to share them with you.**


welcome to beth!

beth is a flight attendant for a major airline and  mom to a curious explorer, "e".  "e" earned elite status at the airline at 20 months. in her blog, "cloud surfing kids", beth gives helpful tips and insight based on her experiences.

mmmmm, mondays: frosted pumpkin cookies

photo credit: Kitchen Conundrum

it's october, and for me that means everything pumpkin. (pumpkin spice lattes are back at starbucks--yahoo!) in honor of this magical orange fruit (am i the only one who thought it was a veggie?!) we will be posting our favorite pumpkin recipes for mmmmm, mondays this month. we are kicking it off with my *favorite* frosted pumpkin cookies. they are cake-like and just delightful. enjoy!


frosted pumpkin cookies

cookie ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp ginger
1 cup raisins (optional)

frosting ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
4 tsp milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla

directions (cookies):
cream together shortening, sugar, and pumpkin.
then add in the egg, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, raisins, all spice, and ginger.
drop from a spoon to cookie sheet.
bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.
makes about 4 dozen.

directions (frosting):
cook milk, butter, and brown sugar until dissolved.
cool and add powdered sugar and vanilla.
spread on warm cookies.