Real Simple Knows How To Party

The latest Real Simple has some seriously cute kids' party ideas - including treasure hunt and Little Italy themes. They even have free downloads available, as well as lots o' fun games and ideas. Check them out here.

Monkey Bread Minis

The Rach is so clever. She's taking my favorite childhood breakfast treat and making it mini! What could be cuter? You can get her recipe here. But I'll probably just use our recipe and do it up muffin tin style. Sure it's more work, but the cuteness factor is very high, no?

Mom’s Monkey Bread

3 Cans Refrigerator Biscuits 1 C. Sugar w/ Cinnamon to taste (I like lots!)

¾ C. Butter ½ C. Brown Sugar

½ C. White Sugar

Grease bundt or 9 x 12 pan (bundt pan is prettier, but either works). Cut biscuits into quarters. Dip into cinnamon/sugar and line the inside of the pan. Boil butter and both sugars and pour over the biscuits. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

For My Texas Baby...

...how 'bout a pair o' cowboy booties? I'm loving the John Deere green version - too cute!

Don't Forget To Bid!

I'm sure all of the bloggin' world is aware of Nie Nie Day today - if you're not, head over to Design Mom for all the details. I just wanted to especially direct you over to my good friend Darleen's blog. She's hosting an auction today for the gorgeous necklace pictured above, which she designed especially for Stephanie. Personally, I'm in love with it and am headed that way right now to place my bid.

And don't forget to check Design Mom for a list of all the auctions going on today.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch

As a chocolate peanut butter dessert aficionado, this recipe from The Rach is tops on my list to try! Seriously, how good does that sound? And seems practically foolproof, to boot! Yum, yum, sign me up!

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 sticks (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter One 16-ounce jar creamy peanut butter 3 cups crispy rice cereal 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt half of the chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter over low heat. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 2 cups rice cereal. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan; refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Wash out the saucepan.
2. In the saucepan, combine the remaining 2 sticks butter and the salt; melt over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar. Spread half of the peanut butter mixture over the cereal layer. Top with the remaining 1 cup cereal.
3. In a small bowl, microwave the remaining chocolate at medium power until melted, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir into the remaining peanut butter mixture. Spread evenly on the cereal-topped peanut butter layer; refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces.

Look What Jo Found

Joanna over at A Cup of Jo is always finding the coolest stuff. Like these ingenious business cards, for instance. I'd love to have some pop-up Natalie cards, that is for sure!

Quite Possibly The Cutest Idea Ever

In fact, these are so adorable, they just might be worth the trouble of making them! Edible crayons made with pretzel rods and tinted candy melts? I LOVE it! Get the details here, including wrapper downloads.

PS - Gourmet Mom on the Go is an awesome blog! Check it out!

{Via 3 Ma'am's and Their Guy.}

Brainstorming: Unicorn Party

Maya has made her final final decision: this year's birthday bash will be a unicorn party. So I've been browsing the web, scouting out ideas for the party - games, decor, favors. But of course, my best resource is always YOU (thank you for all the red-carpet party ideas, by the way - I used MANY of them!).

So...any unicorn brainstorms? I'm hoping for cute, not "corn"-y (har har), but hey, it's a 5-year-old's birthday party... Any thoughts?

So It's Technically A Kids' Desk...

...but I think it would be the perfect li'l desk for my bedroom - just a spot for me to sit and jot notes and {attempt} to get organized. Love the red. Love the fancy, spirally legs. Love everything about it. Aside from the price. Darn Pottery Barn.

Fireworks?

We've had some seriously loud, rumblin' & rollin' thunder going on this afternoon. No rain (yet), just grumble grumble grumble.

I went in to get Mason up from his nap and he told me "I hear fireworks out der."

"It's actually just thunder, Masey. I think it's going to rain!" I told him.

"No, it not. It fireworks."

"Oh. You think it's fireworks?"

"I just joking, Mama."

I seriously love this kid.

Mama Rings

This is a fun idea for "Mama jewels" from Accessory A La Mode: silver rings stamped with your kiddos' names and birth dates - all stacked up! Or, choose any name or phrase you like. If I were more a ring wearer, I'd be all over it! Very, very clever.

{Via My Mom Shops.}

Blank Canvas

Did you know that you can design your own Keds on Zazzle? And not just the canvas color and the stitching and stuff (although you can do that) - you can upload custom images and text - the works! Such a fun idea!

{Starting at $60.00 here.}

{Via the Broken Plate.}

Leftover Help? Brisket Edition

I have some lovely sliced brisket leftover from Sunday dinner - and I don't want it to go to waste! But what to do with it? My first inclination is to chop it up and cook it sloppy jo style and serve it in tortillas (since I have those - or hot dog buns...I have those, too). But I'm not much of a "throw in a little of this and a bit of that" type of girl - it usually comes out nasty. Any thoughts, suggestions? What do do with my leftover beef? Anyone have a sloppy jo recipe that might translate well for something like this?

Help!

Livin' It Up Kiddie Style: The Weekend Wrap-up

We did so much kid-fun stuff this weekend, Maya & Mason were like kids in a candy store! In fact, I think the candy store is about the only place we didn't hit!

Friday night we hit my favorite sub spot, Thundercloud Subs, for dinner with my parents. Mmm, turkey sub on the best wheat bread in the world! Back home to get the kiddies in bed, and we did the usual - dozing in front of the Olympics! (Hey, we only had a couple more days to indulge in that practice!) Then it was off to bed.

Saturday morning Chris got up with the kids and took them the doughnut shop for breakfast! Then they hit the park for some jungle gym time. Meanwhile, I got showered and ready for the day...just in time for them to come home to announce they were ready to go to the pool. Not so! We had work to do! Chris made some trips up into the attic to retrieve all of the outgrown kiddie clothes while I made Maya try on the entire contents of her dresser drawers to determine what (if anything) still fits that tall girl! Once Chris had unloaded a million boxes and bins, he was sufficiently hot and sweaty...and ready to take the kids to the pool!

Off they went while I sorted through baby clothes and made lunch. After they got back and we ate our PB&Js, Chris & Maya worked on the treehouse, Mason napped and I kept sorting. (I'm not enjoying this project - it's still all over my living room!) After nap time, it was time to finally celebrate being all finished with working on the play (almost all finished, I should say - but close!) by going out to one of my favorite spots for an early dinner - Benihana! (Fondue and Japanese or Brazillian steakhouse are my top picks for celebrating...) The kids absolutely LOVED the show - heck, so did Chris and I! And the food was deeeelicious!

After that we decided to get Mason and Mason's awful hair-cuts (from last time - eeks!) repaired at Cool Cuts - a special treat! Maya watched Barbie and Mason watched Cars (while sitting in a car, no less!) and they both got all trimmed up with no fussing! Love it! And then, since Cool Cuts is inside Toys R Us, we had to browse the toys! I admit, I like looking at toys as much as they do! Then it was home again and off to bed for those little monkeys. More dozing, more Olympics, then to bed for Chris & I.

Sunday was the usual. Up for tubby time, Chris had meetings, etc. Church was great - although the nursery was crazy! There were 22 kids there, and 3 were out sick! It's pretty nuts, that's for sure. But still fun. Mason was on better behavior than usual, so that made me happy. After church we had our usual naps, followed by dinner with my parents (brisket + gigantic cold shrimp - yum!).

Home again, kids in bed, and I took Olympic dozing to an all new level, sprawled out on the bed, snoring my brains out. So I missed most of the cool closing ceremonies, but I'll watch the recording today while I fold laundry...

All in all - a great weekend, especially if you're a kid! Doughnuts! Park! Pool! Toy store! All that was missing was an ice cream cone to top it off. Good times were had by all and I'm starting to realize how NICE it is to have my Saturdays back!

And now we have a busy week ahead - Maya starts preschool next week! Wow!

Hope you have a great week!

For the Bigs

I've been on the lookout for the perfect "Big Sister" and "Big Brother" tees to get the kiddos when the baby is born. Something not too cheese, something cute. Something I won't mind them wearing once we leave the hospital. So far, I'm partial to these. Cute, right?

Big Sister

Big Brother

Red Carpet, Baby! (Also: 6 1/2 Months Pregnant!)

The red carpet was definitely a highlight of the big party tonight! I took that walk several times...with some of my favorite people. And for those of you who are keeping tabs on my belly (well, I guess that's just me), here's a peek at how large & in charge I am at 6 1/2 months pregnant.

He's a cutie, right? I'm definitely keeping this one around!

Look at my grown up girl! This was before she took a dip in the chocolate fountain. Dip, as in I think she as actually swimming IN the chocolate fountain. Mercy me.

I love my babies!

A couple o' "play people": Tasha, the director and Szucceed, the assistant director over the acting coaching. They are both amazing!

And a few of the the "play kids": Omar played John.

Colton played Peter.

Jordan played Thomas and Isaiah played Cleopas.

The party was a great grand finale to an amazing experience...one I'm very grateful for. More party details coming soon...

Party On, Party People

Today is the big Savior of the World Premiere Party! Which means I'll be doing set-up all morning, followed by food prep all afternoon. And with any luck, a shower in there somewhere. Since it is a "red carpet" party and all. I don't want to be the sweaty old hag there in my t-shirt, I suppose! I think it's going to be lots o' fun...

I'll be back tomorrow with all the details!

"Where'd Mickey Head Go?"

Mason posed that valid question to me when he saw these tees - headless Mickey? So what do you think - cute or morbid? I vote cute!

Mickey

Minnie

Hair Bling

Natalie over at Paisley Lane has some gorgeous vintage hair clips in her store right now that I'm loving. So simple and lovely! Think I could pull this look off?

Pouring Out Milk & Hoping To Be Better

Today Maya informed me that "This milk tastes disgusting!". Sure enough, a check of the label told me that the milk had expired days ago. As I poured the milk down the drain (Cringing as it went - milk ain't free!) that icky sour milk smell rose up and I was taken back over 10 years in time, to when I was a receptionist at an office - and only 20 years old.

There was a lady in the office who had breast cancer. For the third time. She would go several times per week to have her chemotherapy treatment hooked up and then come into work. At the time, I had no idea about chemotherapy - or much idea about anything at all, for that matter. Certainly, I felt sorry for her. But I had no idea how much pain she was in, how sick she was or how terrible and difficult it must have been to have to come to work every day while going through chemotherapy.

All I remember is the smell of the chemo. That distinct, sour milk-ish smell. So, so strong that I'd breathe through my mouth anytime she was nearby, and I'd still catch a whiff and gag. I hope she never noticed that. I tried to be subtle, but I've learned through the years that subtlety has never been my strong suit. I would remind myself, if it's that difficult just to be near her, imagine how hard it must be her. Still, the smell. It has never left my memory.

She passed away a few months after I got married and moved away. I was sad to hear it, but I didn't know her well and it didn't effect me greatly. And the only time I think of her now is when I smell sour milk. Today, her memory made me particularly sad. I guess I understand better now that I'm older and (a little bit) wiser how terrible her last months must have been. I wish I could have done something to ease her burden, but as a self-centered, about-to-be-married 20-year-old, she was just a tiny blip on my radar.

The topic in church this past Sunday was service. The speakers are the parents of a 19-year-old girl who has had special needs since birth - they will probably be taking care of her for her entire life. They spoke about the difficult times they've gone through and the acts of service that have helped along the way. The sweet Mom, who I love dearly, made the point that you will never read in the scriptures that Jesus told someone to "call if you need anything". He was always there, just doing what needed to be done. She spoke of life-changing moments of service that came from people who simply were there and were in tune enough to see what their role was - and to fulfill that.

I want to be more like that. I want to do more than say "I wish there was something I could do". I want to be a do-er! And I don't want to have to say, as I do with my sick co-worker 10 years ago, "I wish I had done something". What could I have done? I don't know. Left flowers on her desk on her chemo days? Bought her a funny card? Something. Anything would have been better than stifling gags and calling it good.

So I'm grateful for my super-sniffer and that I have that sour milk association. So that I can be reminded every so often that I want to be better. I want to work harder so that instead of being the person who wished she'd done something, I can be the person who is there, doing something.

Making Me Laugh Today...

Doesn't it look like he's modeling He Kexin's gymnastics uniform or something? I think it's the most hilarious picture ever!

{PS - He Kexin would come up to about his knee-cap, no? He's a GIANT!}

{Via I Heart You.}

Diggin'...

...the new Dean Harris for Target jewelry collection. 'Specially these.

Check out the collection here.

Rewards & Punishments

Aside from and wild and crazy 2 year old (which is to be expected, in my opinion...), I'm also dealing with an extremely sassy "almost 5-year-old". Whose response to everything I ask her to do is "I don't want to!". Who has to be asked 5 times to do anything and everything. Who acts as wild and crazy as her brother (or worse!) half the time. I've been having a hard time keeping my cool with her lately.

We had a good talk yesterday about her behavior and decided that we should create a chart to help her earn "Obedience Points". Once she earns a certain number of points, she'll earn a reward, such as staying up later to watch a movie, a trip to the pet shop to check the animals out for as long as she wants, or a trip to the park to climb on the jungle gym, etc. Problem is, those are about the only rewards I can think of. I want them to be free or very low cost rewards.

So. Help me think of some rewards, won't you? What works well for your kids? Also, while I want to focus on rewards, I also need help with "consequences". Time outs don't seem to be so effective with her. What do you do? Take away toys?

Anyway, help! I don't want to be raising a smart-mouthed girl, but that seems to be the road she's been on this past little while. What to do?

This Will Be My Next Comforter Set

Ooh, I'm in la-la-love. Isn't it lovely?