Sushi Bonding

I am loving the age/stage that Emily is in right now.  I can teach and tell her things and she actually comprehends what I'm saying.  Yes- teaching is an everyday part of life and yes- I realize that kids absorb alot they are taught without verbalizing.  But I am an instant gratification kind of gal!  I really like the positive feedback when she asks questions about something we just did or she repeats to Matt what I told her in the car.  She's also old enough to take new places and not have to worry (usually) about having a potty accident or that she will have a melt down if she doesn't get her 1pm nap.  She's a little person instead of a baby so I find myself wanting to expose and show her everything! 

One of my goals this spring is to get Emily out of her chicken nugget comfort zone.  As a family we eat pretty healthy.  Maybe lacking a little in the vegetable department but we rarely eat fast food or go out to eat.  I made all of Emily's baby food and exposed her to different and even exotic foods from an early age.  Somewhere along the way though, she decided to become a picky eater and if a food looked new, it was not good.  She also went through a stage when eating itself was overrated.  At that point I was just happy to get her to eat something and hence the chicken nugget comfort zone emerged.  I don't ever want food to be an issue or a big deal so I haven't pushed.  This spring though I want to do more with our garden and make food fun.  Sort of like those cute bento boxes where they have the food cut up to look like animals or people.  Like this:

Source

I really can't see myself going all our or making elaborate scenes with food.  That just takes too much time but a little creativity goes along way in munchkin land.  Tonight we had sushi.  Here is mommies yummy plate:

And here's Emily's version.  Just strips of bread spread with cream cheese and ham wrapped around cucumber sticks and cheese.  Bon appetit! 

Llama Llama Red Pajama Party

My best friend's daughter turned one this year.  I just loved the fact that I had another beautiful little girl to help plan a party for!  John & Kelley call her "Baby Bug" so I first thought a bug theme was in store but then decided that would be better for when she was a little older and able to hold a magnifying glass (yes, I have already started thinking of activities!).  I absolutely love the Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney and since llamas were always sort of a joke with Kelley and I in college, Kelley decided that it was a good idea.  Then, we found these red pajamas on Walmart.com and decided it was a PERFECT idea!

Cecilia's invitation complete with Llama Llama appearance in a paper red pajama.

The food table.  Since Cecilia was born in January (yes, I am super late posting) we had decided to do a hot chocolate bar.  We weren't planning for it to be 70 degrees in North Carolina!!!

The FABULOUS fondant cake topper from Edible Details.  She does wonderful work that I have always admired on facebook and was so excited that she agreed to make her interpretation of a llama in red pajamas.  

You Bacon Me Crazy!

Happy Valentine's Day!!  I've never been a huge fan of Valentine's.  Not that I have anything against it but I have always felt it was just a commercial holiday invented to stimulate the economy after Christmas.  That being said, I actually got excited about the holiday this year.  Maybe its because Emily is old enough to participate and do cute heart stuff.  I made Matt a special breakfast as he is such a wonderful husband. 

I am SO proud of Emily.  Look how well she wrote "Dad".  Hmmmm...I'm seeing a pattern that the cool breakfast and Valentine's are going to Daddy....

We decorated cookies last night so we would have a fun Valentine's dessert today.  Emily was definitely in her element.  Poor Lindsay gets the short end of the stick since she is still too little to decorate cookies or Valentines without eating the glitter but I will give her a piece of cookie tonight and she will be happy.
  

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  Love my babies....and Matt!

Baby Shower Inspiration

I love a party.  I love even more a UNIQUE party.  So when my good friend Shanna asked me for some ideas about what to do for a baby shower I decided to search the web (and Pinterest) for creative ideas.  The mother-to-be has chosen blue and lime green as the nursery colors and the invitations that were sent have jungle animals.  I have done the decorating onesies activity and I love that but the mother-to-be just had a shower and that was the activity.  Each shower must be different!!!

This is a cute jungle themed baby shower from ellinee.  Best part - they have FREE download shower kit! 

I love anything that has to do with children's books.  I think the older I get, the more sentimental I become!  A Curious George book as the guest book for a jungle themed baby shower is perfect!  Featured on Oh Baby! Shower Decor.

Granted these are pink but you could easily change the ribbon for a boy.  Who doesn't love animal crackers?!?!  Easy favor.  You could also put a bunch is a big vase and have guests guess how many there are.  Just don't forget to count them yourself before the party!  Featured on Kara's Party Ideas.

Great and unique dessert table featuring everyone's favorite pregnancy craving - ice cream!  Cravings Baby Shower by the High Heeled Hostess

LOVE!  Decorating baby blocks.  This shower was designed by Kate Landers and featured by Loralee Lewis.  I love alot of the simple classic details of this shower.

 

Pea in the Pod baby shower featured at Half Baked

Great activity especially if you have children coming to the shower.  Everyone colors a coloring book letter.  After the shower, you have they bound and laminated as a special book for baby.  Featured on Bump Smitten

This is perfect for my US Weekly friends who always know the latest celebrity gossip.  Featured on Southern in the City

I love this activity/present for the mother-to-be from Mustard and Sage.  Have friends and family write one thing they can't wait for him/her to experience - first time fishing, first McDonald's french fry, seeing mama's face for the first time, etc. 

Can't wait to see what she decides to do for the shower and pictures of the big day!!

ABCs and I23s

I feel like I've been swimming in alphabet soup the last month.  Emily is 3 1/2 and attends a full-time preschool while Matt and I work during the day.  From 8 weeks to about 2 1/2 she was in an in-home daycare.  The in-home daycare only kept children until they were 3 years of age and didn't have an extra spot when Lindsay was born so I pulled Emily out.  I've always been a person who believed that children should be children and they will learn when they are ready.  The thought of homework or studying with her never crossed my mind.  Now I'm not one of those mothers who just lets her kid run like a banshee outside with no discipline or sticks them in front of the TV every afternoon (I don't believe there is anything wrong with an occasional Disney movie or some TV.  Heck I even learn a few things after watching Nick Jr.!)  I just didn't focus on education and let her play.  After being in preschool for awhile, I noticed that most of the other students were familiar with their letters and numbers.  Emily knew a few but honestly could care less when I asked her the difference between a "W" and a "D".  I don't want to be a mom who get anal about their 3-year-old doing alphabet drills and then the kid winds up resenting school, dropping out of school, going goth, and married to some skater dude they met less than a week ago.  Aaaahhh!  Okay maybe that's a little extreme but I want her to like going to school and like to learn.  I don't want her to fall behind though so I decided to try "pushing" a few of the more educational toys we own instead.  Such as, "Let's play with LeapFrog instead of with the Disney Tangled doll".  Last night I found the holy grail of fun education toys and I just had to share.

Leap Frog's Go Fish game is awesome!!!!  She really enjoyed playing a game that was one-on-one with Matt or I.  She could practice matching, recognizing the different forms of a letter and she definitely showed me her skills when it came knowing her letters.  Some of the other things that have worked for us are alphabet flash cards (she realized that those were more homework than fun though and now doesn't like to do those) and alphabet puzzles like the one below. 

Each week her school has a letter of the week.  The Sunday before that week we do a collage on the letter and talk about the sound it makes and if she is feeling randy then she will actually practice writing the letter.  This usually doesn't last long but at least its a start!

New Year....New Focus...New Blog

2011 was a pretty tough year.  I know I should count my blessings and be thankful I have a healthy family, a roof over my head and there were wonderful memories like my sister's wedding.  That being said, Lindsay was a much harder newborn that I had anticipated and also juggling two children was harder than I estimated.  In 2011 Lindsay had surgery for double inguinal hernias, my mother-in-law was diagnosed and beat a very aggressive form of breast cancer, and my father-in-law was diagnosed and lost his battle with leukemia.  His passing towards the end of the year just gave the holidays a hollow feeling.  I am looking forward to a fresh year and redefining of my priorities.

The reason that I started this blog and business was I wanted to do something fun.  I love crafting, decorating, painting, really anything artsy, and partying!  Seemed like a perfect fit.  In a perfect world it would be.  Trying to juggle starting a business, my day job, my marriage, my two children, and attending classes at night to further my education was just too much.  I was focusing less on my family and spending less time with my children.  As soon as the idea of planning a party came up, the first thing I would think of was that there was another weekend I would be away from the girls.  The idea of Pinwheels, Pigtails & Parties is no longer fun and no longer that "perfect" fit.  I do enjoy the blog when I have time for it as it is almost like a diary of sorts and very therapeutic.  If someone else can find inspiration from something I said or created, then great!  If not, then that's okay too.  I'm going to redesign the blog to now be just chronicle of my life as a planner, dreamer, crafter, wife, friend, and mother.  If I'm honest with myself and look back over the last six months, that's really what I was doing anyways!  The name still fits as I work through the week dealing with toys (Pinwheels) and my girls (Pigtails), all the while trying to make life a (Party)!  Ha!    

Well, that started #1of  my New Year goals!  I didn't want to set "resolutions" but instead goals for 2012.  At the end of the year I can do a recap if I actually achieved something.  (Also putting things out there on the wide world web sort of makes you accountable!)  Here they are:

1.  Spend more quality time with my family by focusing on being at home more. 

2.  Lose at least 15 pounds by working out at least 3 days a week.  This means getting up at 5:30am.  Oh, how I will miss sleep!

3.  Stop relying on credit cards.  Budget more and make sure Matt and I are on the same page when it comes to finances.  We have set a budget but I am curious to see how January goes to see how realistic it is.  No more crazy expensive trips to the grocery store three times a week when you were only supposed to get a gallon of milk, or $100 trips to Michaels (wipe a tear).  With two kids in daycare, our discretionary income is almost nonexistent which means finding creative, inexpensive ways to eat, stay reasonable fashionable, have fun, and entertain.   

4.  Learn how to sew and knit.  More possibilities for crafts! 

5.  Make our home more inviting.  I have SO many plans and ideas in the works.  Thank you Pinterest!

6.  DECLUTTER!  This goes hand-in-hand with my goal above.  I have realized that I am one exciting yard sale away from being featured on an episode of Hoarders.  I keep everything which can be a great thing when I am looking for a container or something to upcycle.  A very bad thing when you can barely fit a person in our garage, much less a car!  I am so ready to purge!  Getting rid of stuff is almost as euphoric as buying stuff :).  At least that's what I am telling myself.     


Welcome 2012!!!!!!

Merry Baking Christmas

I blame Pinterest.  Or maybe that damn Martha Stewart for making me think I could be super woman this year and give everyone wonderful, handmade with love gifts, make memories with my children, see Santa, put up Christmas decorations, host Christmas Day dinner, visit all our family and actually enjoy the holiday season.  As if!  Next year I really need to prioritize.  One thing I will not do is make EVERYONE baked goods.  Or make such a variety of them.  My 3 1/2 year old's teacher asked her what her mother did and she stated that "My mommy makes candy".  Hmmmm.....I think I may need to take a step away from the kitchen in the New Year.

I did learn that I really like to make bread and another tip - Be the daycare mother who brings the classmate gifts a couple of days BEFORE they have their holiday party.  That way your candy gift won't just be tossed to the bottom of a bag along with all the store bought candy canes that the children won't be allowed to eat since they are hopped up on sugar from all the cupcakes and treats from school.

Crockpot Apple Butter - My MIL's favorite!

My new Christmas obsession - Candy Cane Hershey Kisses!  Why did I not know these existed until now!!!  These are kisses in sugar cookies rolled in sugar.  I made them in white, green and red.  Very festive!

Another Hershey candy cane Kiss creation.  Sandwiched between 2 pretzels.  So easy that Emily helped.  You put one pretzel on a baking sheet, unwrap the Kiss & place it on the pretzel (Emily's job).  Heat in a 350 oven for 2-3 minutes and then place the other pretzel on top to make a sandwich.  Yummy!!

Same principle as above but regular Hershey Kiss melted and then press a holiday colored M&M on top.

Co-worker gifts.  Goodies above and also haystacks, raisin cookies, and peppermint fudge (which I forgot to take pics of).

Rice Krispie treat ornaments

Emily's classmate gifts.  Its hard to see because of the glare but there is a red Cherry Sour in the bag of whoppers. 

The way I finished off many a night of Christmas baking.......