Coffee

So, I love my morning coffee and I just read some new good things about it that were mostly new to me:
-Drinking at least 1 cup a day lowers a women's risk of Stroke by 25%

-Consuming at least 2 cups a day reduces a woman's chance of becoming depressed by up to 20%

-More that 3 cups a day lowers women's risk of developing the most common skin cancer by 20%

So, I've decided that I drink enough that I'm bulletproof.

Keeping kids busy when you're out

I have made it a point since my kids were babies that, they had to learn to sit & behave in restaurant high chairs, in shopping carts, in their stroller etc. There's no standing up in the seat or the shopping cart & there's no option about getting in so, get used to it. And you will be buckled in!! This is not to say I'm a mean mom at all but, that I expect certain standards in order to enjoy outings with my kids. As it stands so far, they are well-behaved & do not fight to go in the high chair etc. and they both love riding in the stroller. Of course, they associate the stroller with pleasant things like nature walks, & as a means to get from place to place in a relaxed fashion. In other words, they don't associate it w/being strapped in the stroller for hours while I clothes shop. However, I can occasionally do that because I've already established the stroller as a positive thing. Of course, I've always talked to them, played games with them & brought toys, activities & snacks to occupy them. At restaurants I usually have crayons & paper (in case they don't proved them) & a few small toys like little animals or figures to play with. With my oldest, stickers always kept him occupied the whole time in a restaurant from the time he was barely 2 yrs old. Often times he would put stickers on the table but sometimes on himself or me or the back pages of the sticker book. I even bought $1 spiral notepads for him to put the stickers in. You can get $1 sticker books in various themes that are small enough to put in your purse at Michaels craft store. With 1 yr olds, you can sing songs & occupy them by being silly. They love it when you pretend to have things fall on you or hit you on the head etc. I think 1-2 yrs. is like the "3 Stooges" stage & they laugh at all the slap-stick. 2-3 yrs. are the "Stickers & magical pretend years" (yes, I made up that just now). And 4-5 are the "Van Gogh" yrs. and they love to draw & color & be creative. I have vowed to not be one of those moms with the kid at the table playing Nintendo DS/Leapster or cell-phone games. I think that's gotten way out of hand these days. We'll see how long I can fight it when my oldest hits Kindergarten next year.

Cute Valentines Day Craft

Here's a cute craft for Valentine's Day that kids love making & wearing. It's basically a head band/crown with bobbly antena hearts. Before you get started making these, you'll need 4 pre-cut hearts (about 2-3 inches in size) to use each on headband. You can cut make your own hearts or buy pre-made ones in cute patterns or colors. You can use sturdy construction paper or poster board works really great. Cut the paper about 2-3 inches wide & slightly longer than what you need for their head size. You can measure your child's head w/the paper & mark it. Let the kids decorate the headband before you staple or glue it together. They can color them or use stamps or stickers or glitter to decorate however they want. Then after it's stapled or glued to be a crown for their head, attach 2 pipe cleaners (1 on each side of the crown) with glue or tape (either the fuzzy kind or the glittery kind) and then glue a heart to each side of each antena to make cute bobbling heart antenae. Little kids really like wearing them & laughing at each other in them and they look cute too. Get crafting, Valetines Day is approaching!

Birthday Greetings

Here is an idea for when you're sending to Birthday cards (or other holiday cards) to someone out of state that you may not see that often. This is especially neat for grandparents, aunts & uncles, or cousins. Make a "Happy Birthday" sign & add the person's name and then take a pic of your kid(s) holding the sign. You can print the pic & tuck in with the card that you're sending. It's also a neat idea if your child has a friend that has moved away & then it helps to keep that friendship bond going when they see them in the pic. It's also cute to make a Happy Easter sign decorated & the kids could wear props like bunny ears etc. for sending to grandparents. The pic that I posted here was one that we made for my nephew in Florida & later, his parents said that he really liked getting that personalized greeting.

Blocks!

Blocks are awesome! Toys of course! Blocks of all kinds: wooden blocks, Duplo, Megabloks, Legos etc. A kid can use their creativity to buils whatever they want. My son has built zoos, all kinds of buildings & houses, vehicles, musuems, birthday cakes & presents, & so much more. For most of Cameron's 4 1/2 yrs, he has used mainly Duplo blocks & Mega Bloks but, recently, he has gotten into Legos. Yes, with all of their teeny tiny parts, they're confined to his room with all of the other choking hazards. Occasionally, Emily runs crazily into his room to overturn a big bucket of Legos & wreak a little havoc but, mostly she's kept away from that stuff. Anyway, Legos are different from when I was a kid & you just created whatever you came up with in your mind. There are now all of these sets where you make a specific thing with printed directions to follow. Cameron has a big imagination though so, he comes up with many scenarios after they're built. Of course his Dad has to help him build most of them because the parts are so tiny & intricate. Oh but, Cameron loves them so! Emily is now starting to build simple towers & stuff w/the Mega Bloks & it's really great for building fine motor skills. She claps for herself when she builds things & that's pretty cute. Anyway, my point is, if you haven't already, invest in a good supply of blocks & spend some time building with your kids. You'd be surprised how much they'll enjoy it & how long it keeps them occupied!

Baby Madness -Watch what you wear!

In addition to being a Stay-at-Home, running a local playgroup and blogging, I have a small part-time job working at a Church Nursery watching other peoples "little darlings". On Sunday mornings I work in the Infant room for the church nursery for about 3 hrs. during church service & Sunday school programs. Last week, no infants showed up so, I helped out in other rooms. This week was totally different & 7 babies showed up! There is usually a volunteer scheduled to help me but, today, there wasn't one. Luckily, someone else who works there took pity on me & came & helped me out. By the end, when I was left with only 1 baby, the lady helping me decided to go ahead & leave with her family who were attending church services. The baby I was left with was an older baby who is 11 mos. and she was tired & I was rocking her in the rocking chair. She was trying to kind of bury her face in my chest as tired babies sometimes do. She had her pacifier in her mouth & she was kind of drooling due to teething. Well, next thing I know, I look down at her & there is a bunch of dark colored specks all around her mouth & chin area. I'm looking at her like "what the heck is that?!". I hadn't noticed that her face was all dirty before this. Her parents could walk in at any moment so I grab a wipe & furiously wipe her face all off. She goes back to resting her face on me & then a minute later, I look down & there's stuff all on her nose & face! All of the sudden I realize that it's the sweater that I'm wearing that's rubbing off on her drooly face! I had a plum-purple sleaveless sweater over a long sleeve tee and it was a real soft fuzzy type of sweater. I had recently noticed that when I washed the sweater, there was a bunch of fuzzy stuff all stuck to the inside of my front-loading washing machine & that I actually had to wipe it all out in fear of it tainting my other in-coming laundry. Anyway, I guess because the babies face was kind of wet & her nose was kind of runny, the sweater fuzz kept rubbing off on it & since it didn't rub-off on dry stuff, I never knew it would do that before now. So, then, I wiped the babies face off again & proceeded to put her on my lap w/her facing forward w/her back resting against me but, all of a sudden, she turned & put her face against me. All within seconds, I could sort of see someone approaching the doorway & gave her face a quick swipe & then smiled as her mom entered the room to get her! It would have been horrifying to me If the baby had actually fallen asleep or I hadn't noticed her face until her parents came to get her because, it just looked like her face was all dirty and I might not have realized it was the sweater. Even, if I knew it was the sweater, I would feel stupid explaining that to the parents. Anyway, I won't be wearing that sweater to work again! Lesson learned in a crazy way!

No Love for Santa

Just for fun, I thought it would be fun to post a pic of what Emily thought of Santa this past Christmas. There's always that one year (sometimes 2 or 3) when a young child is completely terrified of having to sit on that dude's lap. As you can, see Cameron didn't mind a bit but, it's hard to talk to Santa when your sister is screaming her head off!

Playing Outside & Watching Airplanes!

Here is a great idea if you're looking for something different to do during nice weather. Even in cold weather, as long as it's not freezing, it's still fun. Peachtree Dekalb Airport (PDK) is a small airport located in NE Dekalb County (about 8 miles from downtown Atlanta) and they have a small outdoor stadium-type of seating where you can watch planes take off & land. For some kids & adults alike, this is really fascinating. In addition, they built a playground overlooking the runway which is aviation themed. It has a "control tower" with slide and climbing stuff as well as ride-on airplanes that rock back & forth & swings too! There are plenty of park benches for parents as well as a hangar pavillion w/picnic tables & restrooms. You can bring a picnic & spend lots of time or try one of local eating spots in that area. Or, there is restaurant located right there overlooking the runway called "The Downwind" that is very casual & offer kids meals It has lots of windows for viewing and the food is pretty good (hamburgers etc.)
This is a great free outing or at least a cheap one if you eat out. It's definitely worth the drive. You can check out the airport & get directions at their website... http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/pdkairport/about.asp
Go earn your wings & check it out!

Great DVDs for Toddlers

I didn't usually let my 1st born watch TV until he was 2 & even then, it was mainly Sesame Street. This was based on the recommendation from the American Acadademy of Pediatrics that watching TV wasn't beneficial for kids under 2. Then, as Cameron got older, he branched off into various other PBS shows and occasional Nick JR or Disney shows. I did however, get educational DVDs for him to watch on occasion since he was about 18 mos. old. Oddly enough, one of his favorites was a movie called "I Love Big Machines" ("love" is actually a heart symbol) and it was really meant for older kids. It showed big construction vehicles doing their different jobs with narration from a kid. It was actually way over his head but, he loved it & would ask for "Trucks" (that's what he called the movie). Anyway I got some other cute DVDs at the library that he loved and they were part of a series called "Baby Road Trip". There is "Baby Road Trip -Jungle" (Cameron's favorite), "Baby Road Trip -City" & "Bay Road Trip -Beach". They are each about 35 minutes long which is just right for a toddler under 3. They feature real animals and people as well as toys and puppets & a little animation and a musical soundtrack is mainly what you hear. You can buy them on Amazon but, I recommend trying them for free at the local library before you make an investment. Cameron was glued to these movies and loved watching them. Recently, I got them out for Emily (Yes, I have my own copies now) and she was glued to the TV too. I'm not saying it's great to be glued to the TV but, when your toddler needs some down time (or you do)or they're sick or fussy or you need to get something done, this is great. Interestingly, my son, Cameron (at 4 1/2) still likes watching them. They say on them that they're for ages 6 mos-3yrs. but, try them out when you want & see if your child will actually sit & watch. I used to sit with Cameron thru all of the movies when he was Emily's age because then he would actually sit & also, I think it's important to watch w/them. You can talk about things, point things out & see what your child likes. I will do another post with more great kids movie choices when I have more time. I have several more to recommend. Or of course, there's always classics like "The Terminator" -little kids love the excitement (yes, I'm kidding!).

Cameron's drawings -Family Portrait

I just thought this was cute so, I posted it. The pic is of some drawings that Cameron just did of our family. He did me (with pink hair -?) and then Emily & then himself and then my husband (all in black w/blue hair). I teased my husband that Cameron appropriately did him in black due to the black cloud that sooms to loom over his head (DH tends to be a little "doom & gloom" sometimes). He seemed to laugh and agree! Anyway, Cameron cut them all out & we lined them up & I snapped the pic. I like the way he made me & his Dad bigger by taping 2 pieces together. He did it all himself. I thought it was really cute.

Playing in Boxes

What is it about big cardboard boxes that kids just love playing with them so much? Well, i guess it's because they can climb inside them & pretend they are whatever they would like them to be. Abox can be a car, boat, house, castlee or anything their imagination dreams up. When we get big ones, we save them for awhile & let the kids play in them, decorate them or whatever they want. We make windows in them & color them & stuff like that. Then after awhile they get thrown out for the trash & the fun ends but, just until the next box!

Motivating Kids to Help Clean Up

Sometimes it's hard to get kids to help when it comes to cleaning up their room or picking up toys. You really have to try to make it fun in order to want to do it. Most people know the Barney "Clean Up" song but, I also have a different one to get them helping. I sing (in my off-tune singing voice) "I like the way, way, way everybody's cleaning up" & then I interject the kid's name who is actually helping. I say "I like the way, way, way Emily's cleaning up" and that usually motivate's the next kid to start helping & I sing their name. I've even resorted to singing "I like the way Mommy's cleaning up" when nobody else is -gotta do what ya gotta do! I keep interjecting the kids names as we're cleaning & pretty soon it's done. Sometimes I just make a race out of it & that tends to motivate my 4 yr old. He loves the challenge. "I can do it faster than you Mommy!" or "I can get more than you Mommy!". That's always good. Sometimes I pretend to look for things that I see on the floor like "I wonder where that duck puzzle piece is?" and then Cameron says excitedly "Oh look, I found it!" and he grabs it up not knowing that I knew all along. I reserve that for items that are the farthest from me so, I don't have to go get it- Ha! Or I'll say "maybe it's under the train table or "maybe it's under the couch" in an effort to get those areas cleaned out from underneath. Sometimes I'll just suggest something fun we'll do after we get everything picked up & that usually works too. I can't wait til there older & too sophisticated for this stuff & refuse to do it altogether -Not!

Homemade Marshmallows -Don't Try this at Home!

I just had some hot chocolate w/marshmallows today with my son Cameron. I usually just add the little marshamllows that you but in a bag at the grocery store. Over Christmas however, I decided to try making my own. I was inspired by a friend of mine who made some & they were perfect looking, great tatsing & she said easy to make. It only takes a few ingredients and a good stand mixer so, how hard could it be? Uh, like next to impossible (if you're asking me). I consider myself to be a pretty profficient cook and baker but, there are some things that transcend this. The funny thing is, when I looked for a good recipe online, I got one with a story of how ridiculously messed up it was the first time she attempted it. I also got one w/a video tutorial w/a Martha Stewart wanna-be who made it look simple (and boring). Anyways, the funny thing is I read the story from the one lady & she was saying that after she mixed everything together & was ready to put the mixture in the pan, it was incredibly sticky & she couldn't get it off her hands. It was like a giant sticky spider webb that she kept transferring from one hand to another. Anyway, after watching the other boring lady video tutorial (twice, I might add), I proceeded & everything went well until after the mixing part. Then, it was just as if I had written that one ladies story. It was exactly as ridiculously convoluted as she said. If you try to scrape the mixture out of the bowl it's so sticky that it won't come off the spatula or the beater so, like an idiot, I dipped my one stupid little hand in it. When I couldn't get it out, I made the mistake that really propelled me into marshmallow mayhem, I used my other hand to try to pull the marshmallow mixture off. Picture yourself pulling Elmer's glue out of a bowl using both hands. No matter what I did, all I did was transfer this sticky junk back & forth between my hands. Of course, then my husband walks in the room looking like "What the F***?" and makes some horrendous comment that I can't recall because I was so freaked out by him witnessing this. Did I mention that I had decided to tackle this on Xmas Eve & that at this point, we were about 1/2 hr. away from serving a nice Christmas dinner to my Mom & Step-dad? Yeah, what was I thinking? I was so close to just aborting the whole mission & pretending the whole idea/scene had never happened. When I finally got at least half of the mixture into the pan, I decided okay, that will have to be enough & I managed to finally get my hands clean with lots of warm water. The marshmallows have to sit for like 12 hrs. before their ready to eat so, I was able to act like "la la la la, marshmallows completed & in the waiting phase, no big deal". When I was actually dreading the fact that I'd have to deal w/them again to get them out of the pan & cut them into squares etc. Once, the shell shock is fianlly gone (the scars are just too new!), I may attempt this again. But, even though I was originally going to post the recipe here, I really don't recommend trying this at home!

Kids computer games

So, there is a website that Cameron's class uses at school (Pre-K) called "Starfall" that has educational games on it. I thought we'd try it at home so, we did go on it a few times but, after awhile Cameron got kind of bored. Well, it's okay but doesn't have the familiar characters that might help hook a kid into learning. It does have cute seasonal things like building a snowman or making Jack-o-lantern faces though. One day at the library, I decided we should get check out a computer game for Cameron to try at home. He picked a Curious George one but, as it turns out, it was kind of old & wasn't compatible w/Windows 7 or even XP for that matter. So, my computer didn't recognize it & Cameron could'nt play it. He was upset so, on the fly I thought, why not go to the PBS Kids website? Cameron only watches PBS shows (aside from DVDs)so, why not? Well, he picked Curious George from the choices & he played lots of games & he loved it. The next day he played more & then checked out other games from shows like "Word Girl", "Dinosaur Train" & "Arthur" and a whole bunch more as the days went by. Now he looks forward to getting some computer time but, he's familiar enough w/the site that he can pretty much maneuver around & play games w/out much help. The bonus is, they're learning games but, he's having fun & keeping occupied while his sister naps & I can actually get something else done. Of course, if your kid is into Disney TV or Nickelodeon, I'm sure you could find free games online for them too. 4 & up can really do these games well but, I think a 3 yr old would need a lot of help. Give it a try!

New Year's Resolution

One of my New Year's resolutions is to try and blog something every day. I did not nearly do this in 2011. In fact, I started this blog in May and there were times that I barely blogged once a month, let alone, every day. This year I declare, shall be "blogtastic"! Starting.....now! Look, it doesn't have to be about much but, at least I'll make it a daily habit. Please join me daily for a trip around my world!

Time saver -Mandolin Slicer

Okay, so this should be a no-brainer but, I'm posting it anyway. I have been wanting one of those mandolin slicers that lets you slice potatoes, tomatoes etc. evenly & effortlessly for a long time. You have to get a fairly good one if you really want it to work. So, I've told my husband this many times & right before Xmas, I thought I would just mention it again for the heck of it. In the past, he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about & made me explain it. This time, he said "What is thing anyway? It's called a Mandarin slicer? What for slicing oranges?" I about went ballistic thinking "Are you kidding me, he's still this retarded?" & then I realized by his smirk that he was just pulling my leg. He got me that time but, more importantly, already wrapped under my tree, he got me a madolin slicer! Yay! I've enjoyed making perfectly thin sliced potatoes for Potatoes Au Gratin & perfectly sliced tomatoes for hamburgers & BLTs. It's so easy (although I sliced my finger kind of bad once already!) and saves so much time. I can slice 3 large baking potatoes for Potatoes Au Gratin in about 60 seconds -I swear! I'm loving it! It's not one of the more expensive ones ("Progressive" brand -about $40 on Amazon)but, it folds & sits nice & has attachments for thinner, thicker slices etc. Also it can sit over a bowl to catch all of the slices. It's the little things that make me happy. I Highly recommend it! Dorky housewife seal of approval!