Tricks of the Mommy Trade

Toilet Paper Roll Favors

2011-12-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

I found the instructions for these cute favors on Pinterest (from this site). I'm using them as a way to pretty much butter up the hospital staff when I go into labor, but they'd be great party favors too! I contacted my FAVORITE Etsy seller, Chickabug, and she came up with the little labels for me. I'm not very good with wording and she ROCKS. Plus, aren't they super cute?!?!

Here's how to make these favors yourself!

What You Need:

toilet paper rolls (I ended up making 32 total...Zach jokes that I'm giving them out to the entire hospital but I just wanted to have PLENTY!)
12x12 scrapbook paper (you can cover 4 rolls per sheet)
Mod Podge
Paint brush for Mod Podge
Ribbon
Labels (I ordered the PDF from Chickabug then cut them out using a 2" circle cutter)
Treats (I used M&Ms)
Scissors

What To Do:

Cut out all labels
Fold paper in 4ths then cut out the squares. I then put one roll on one of the squares and cut it narrow enough to fit the roll. I used that piece of paper as a guide to cut all the other papers.
Cover roll in Mod Podge
Roll paper around toilet paper roll. I put extra Mod Podge over the seal to keep the paper on the roll
Fold down ends on one end of roll then pour in candy and fold down the opened end
Wrap ribbon around roll and cut. Then I wrapped it where the ribbon came together in the front of the roll so the seal of the roll was covered by ribbon in the back. I put Mod Podge where the ribbon came together in the front and held it in place for a few seconds.
Put more Mod Podge on top of spot where ribbon came together as well as on the back of the label. Then put label on top of ribbon and hold.
The instructions on the blog I found said to cover the label in Mod Podge as well...and I tried that but it smeared my labels so I just held it down for awhile and it worked fine!

It was VERY inexpensive and VERY easy. Although, it was time consuming. I didn't mind it taking the time since I am doing nothing but waiting on a baby anyway ;) But for a party favor it may be a little bit tedious! I think they turned out cute though and can't wait to be handing them out at the hospital!

Cheddar and Cracker Chicken

2011-11-11T11:15:00.001-08:00

I found this recipe on Pinterest from What's Cookin, Chicago? Kye and I made it while Zach was out of town and LOVED it. I'm excited to have it re-heated once Blitzen arrives!

Ingredients:

16 buttery crackers (Ritz), crushed (about 3/4 cup)
6 ounces sharp cheddar, graded (I used shredded cheddar that I had and stuck it in the food processor to grind it up)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (again, used my mini food processor)
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced (I didn't use this at all)
salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 350
In a bowl combine crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Pound chicken to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness with a meat mallet.
Dip pounded chicken in the butter then in the cracker mixture. Press gently to help it adhere and place on a foil-lined baking sheet
Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture onto the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (15-20 min)

Freezer Version:

Prepare chicken as directed above. After coating it in the cracker mixture, place chicken in a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and freeze flat in the freezer. When ready to prepare, place onto a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake as directed from frozen until cooked through, possibly 30-35 minutes depending on thickness

Minestrone Soup

2011-10-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is a low point Weight Watcher meal, can be easily frozen for storage, is super quick and easy, and is YUMMY!!!

Ingredients

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth
1 can (16 oz) stewed tomatoes, un-drained and coarsely chopped
2 cups kidney beans (I used 2 cans)
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed veges
1/4 cup shell macaroni, uncooked
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil leaves

Your soup will be more "soupy" than mine, I added a lot of extra shells then ended up adding extra broth and tomatoes to give it more liquid before freezing :)

Directions:

Pour tomatoes (and juice) into small food processor and chop (or chop by hand)
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan
Bring to a boil on medium-high heat
Reduce head to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes

I doubled the recipe, added extra noodles, added extra cans of broth and tomatoes, and then froze a TON of it for after the baby arrives. To freeze I used Ziploc brand freezer bags and then got all the air out before closing it and put that bag inside another freezer bag.

Chocolate Champion Cereal Cookies

2011-10-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from The Sneaky Chef With a new baby on the way I thought it'd be smart to start freezing several different snack and food options for Kye to make my life a little easier while adjusting to having two kids! This recipe sneaks in spinach and blueberries and have less sugar and more whole grains than most kids breakfast cereals. Sounds like a winner to me!

Kye and I actually made them together and he and I BOTH licked the bowl! They were THAT good!!! Very similar to cocoa no bakes actually ;)

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour blend (I have never made the blend she recommends so I just used plain old flour)
3 cups whole-grain cereal flakes, such as Wheaties or Total (I used Total)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/3 cup purple puree (you can see how to make it HERE, I have some pre-made and frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I didn't have any parchment paper and they turned out fine)
Place the oats in the blow of a food processor and process on high until oats are finely ground
Add cereal flakes and pulse several times until flakes resemble crumbs
Transfer processed oats and cereal to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the flour blend, cocoa, and baking soda (Kye LOVED to help whisk!)
In another bowl, whisk together egg, purple puree, sugar, vanilla and cooled softened butter
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined
Drop single tablespoonfuls of batter onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each cookie
Flatten the cookies with the back of a fork that's been sprayed with oil to keep from sticking to the batter
Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges
Remove from pan and let cool. Store in airtight container or freeze in sealed plastic bags

These were a big hit! Kye loved helping make them, we both enjoyed the batter, and he gobbled up his helping of the finished product. While I liked the batter, I didn't so much care for the actual cookie. But as long as he likes them that's what matters! I have them stored in the freezer ready and waiting for baby :)

EASY Applique Tutorial

2011-08-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

I found the tutorial I used for this project on Pinterest but you can find the tutorial on this link from Saltwater Kids! I followed her instructions exactly and she has a pattern printout for the tie which worked perfectly. I'll still go over the instructions here for you too though :)

Materials:

tie pattern (see the link above) cut to desired size - I used the 2T size for Kye's shirt
material for tie (or whatever you want to applique) - I bought an entire YARD of fabric b/c I was worried I'd mess up a lot and run out. Haha. I only needed maybe 1/4 a yard...I'll still probably buy 1/2 a yard next time just to be sure though!
t-shirt - I got mine from Hobby Lobby - they have them 1/2 off ALL the time
coordinating thread
1 sheet of double stick fusible web - the Saltwater Kids tutorial said she used Steam-A-Seam2 so I bought the same thing from Hobby Lobby just to make sure I did it exactly how she did
iron
sewing machine with zigzag stitch

To Applique:

1. Trace the pattern on the fusible web and cut it out. She suggested to cut inside the line you traced so it's slightly smaller than your fabric and will make less of a mess on the iron so I did that.

2. Position your pattern on the fabric to get the design effect you like. We wanted as many Mickey heads as we could with them in varying positions so this took us a bit to get just right (Mom is much more of a perfectionist than I am...if you can imagine that haha)

3. Pin and cut out the tie (use fabric scissors)

4. Place the fusible web onto the back of the tie. Just peel off one side of the paper and stick it on! If it doesn't line up exactly right then just undo it and re-stick it :)

5. Once it's in the correct position, peel off the other side of the paper and line the tie up in the center of the t-shirt. Adjust as needed until it's just right. (she suggested folding the shirt in half to find the exact center but since my shirts were brand new they actually had a convenient crease in the center!)

6. Follow the instructions on the fusible web packaging and iron the tie into place. If you buy the same brand I did (the one suggested in the materials list) then it says to iron on the steam/cotton setting for 10-20 seconds.

All of the first 6 steps took less than 15-20 min to do. It was the last step that took the longest!!!

7. Sew using zigzag stitch around the tie!

It took us so long because we had to totally set up the machine...fill the bobbin...get the thread all rigged up right...etc. Plus we had to pick our settings for the zigzag stitch (how large we wanted the zigzags and how far apart we wanted them spread...this took a bit of deciding and practice stitching on scraps until we picked one). The actual sewing part took less than 10 minutes!

finished product!!!

Today I decided to make Kye another shirt using the left over material (I have enough to make the kid like 10 Mickey shirts haha). I used Microsoft Word and printed out a large font of a "K" and used this as my pattern.

I followed alllll the same instructions as above...

And in less than 30 min total (so glad I left the sewing machine all ready to go!) I had another adorable applique shirt!!!

Love this!!!

I'm pretty proud of myself for wanting to try it out and actually doing it. I'm sure Zach's happy too b/c instead of spending $20 each on these from Etsy I made them BOTH for around $10 total! And I can reuse a lot of what I bought on future projects. I plan to get more fabric and try out different patterns...I'll post any tutorials of anything in the future I try, but I'm going to stick to applique for now. It's easy and super cute! If Blitzen's a girl then I do also plan to try out some pillow case dresses ;)

I'd love to hear how this works for you!!!

Cocoa-No-Bakes

2011-07-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

These are some of my FAVORITE cookies, for many reasons. They are mega yummy, super easy, and I have so many fond memories of making them with my mom growing up.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
4 Tbl cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
3 cups oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in saucepan and bring to a boil

2. While waiting for it to boil lay out your wax paper and mix the oats, peanut butter and vanilla into a large bowl (using your hands is the easiest way to do it!)

3. Let saucepan mixture boil for 1 1/2 minutes

4. Pour hot mix over oat mix, stir immediatly

5. Drop onto wax paper by the spoonful and let set

Tips

I've noticed that if it's raining outside sometimes they take a LONG time to "dry" so I'll let them sit out on the wax paper longer or will put them in the fridge...or just eat them gooey. Also I like to dump the saucepan mix into the bowl mix, stir, then go ahead and fill the saucepan with warm soapy water so it's easier to clean, then go back and spoon the cookies onto the wax paper. Makes cleanup a little quicker and allows them to sort of start the setting process so they aren't as gooey when spooning them out.

I'd LOVE to hear how much you enjoy them - gotta drink some milk with 'em. Trust me they are GOOD!!!!

Storage Stained Clothes

2011-06-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

When going through Kye's baby clothes to put aside things for the new baby I discovered that a LOT of his stuff had gotten stained in storage. It was this strange yellow discoloration on many of his clothing items, especially the white ones. I took EXTREMELY good care of everything he owned and never packed something that was stained so this really made me mad!

Like any girl would do - I called my mama ;) She has a Stainbuster's Bible and it said that the discoloration from storage is caused from the clothes having stains on them but the stains being so deep in the clothing that you can't see them until they sit in the dark for a long time and they come to the service. It's mostly caused from washing clothing in cold water...which I do, every load. I mean who can afford to wash all their stuff in hot water??? That's expensive!

To get rid of the stains it said to soak the clothes in an Oxi-Clean type stain remover. I soaked all the colored ones together and all the white ones together (I did end up throwing out all the plain white burp rags and onesies, why go through the cleaning hassle for stuff I can buy so cheaply?). I let them soak for several hours.

Next wash the clothes using bleach and hot water. I didn't use bleach on the colored clothes, but I did with the whites.

A few of the badly stained ones are still stained, and I could do the process again but I probably won't! Thankfully the swaddles, some of my favorite outfits, and some cute sleepers all came out clean! I'm so thankful that I didn't just throw it all out! Hope this helps some other mommies too :)

Stepping Stone

2011-06-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

I feel VERY bad that I can't give credit to the blog where I got this idea from...I simply can't remember whose I saw it on, but I loved the idea and totally copied it!

Supplies I bought:

box of stepping stone concrete mix from Hobby Lobby - $8.99 (it had enough to make two stones as I plan to make one for myself too!)
small round concrete mold (also from Hobby Lobby) - $2.99 (can reuse when making another one as well)
decorative stones (from the Dollar Store) - $1.00

How To:

I really just followed the instructions on the box.
Zach mixed the concrete with water then poured it into the mold
I let it set for awhile b/c you don't want to put your kids feet (or hands) in it while it's too moist or it won't set
We put Kye's feet straight down in it (pressing them down pretty deep) then straight back up and it turned out pretty good!
I waited a little longer then put all the stones around (making sure to press them down enough to really stay)
And I waited even longer to carve Kye's name and the year in the stone. I continued to check it throughout the day and carve the letters over and over to make sure they were really deep.
It took about a day to fully dry and popped right out of the mold no problem!
The mix must be a special type of concrete because the bottom of the stone is very smooth.

This made a WONDERFUL Mother's Day gift! Inexpensive, easy, and something she'll always cherish. I'm excited to have one for myself!

Chocolate Golf Ball Favors

2011-03-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

In searching for golf themed items I stumbled across this site (www.countrykitchen.com) that has a TON of great ideas and all the supplies you need to make those ideas a reality! I loved the idea of these chocolate golf balls for favors for the party. I've never made any chocolate goodies myself but thought I'd give it a try!

To make the golf balls I ordered all the supplies listed on the site (super white coating-merckens, squeeze bottle, two golf ball candy molds, and 30 truffle boxes). To make them I:

1. melted the chocolate (a 1 lb bag was enough chocolate to fill ONE candy mold tray...so it made 1/2 of 8 balls)
2. poured the chocolate into the mold. At first I tried to pour the chocolate into the squeeze bottle then squeeze it from that into the mold but what a joke! It's MUCH easier to melt the chocolate in a large class measuring cup and just pour directly from there. It's also important to make sure no chocolate gets outside the edges of each ball mold or it'll be stuck there and it's a pain to scrape it off later
3. put the mold in the freezer. I waited over night but you can probably just wait a couple hours-they freeze pretty quick
4. to make the other side of the ball you first remove the now frozen halves from the molds (CAREFULLY they break pretty easy). Then melt chocolate again and refill the molds. CAREFULLY (lots of things to be careful about with this project) place the already frozen halves on top of the melted chocolate halves and place back in freezer. You want to make sure a bunch of chocolate doesn't overflow all over the trays or you have a mess and a not-so-ball-looking-ball once it freezes. But at the same time you want to make sure there is ENOUGH chocolate for the pre-made half to cling to or you'll have holes in your ball!
5. Once frozen they are done! Mine never looked as good as the one pictured but they were cute enough for favors for the party. They were more expensive and time consuming than I planned so I'm not sure I'll do them again...but if I do I probably will not be doing a 3D thing like this as I think that made it even more complicated and tough!

I topped the truffle boxes with custom stickers I had made at Chickabug on Etsy!

They turned out cute and were a big hit for sure!

Chocolate Covered Donut Holes

2011-03-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

As you know I got a lot of my inspiration for Kye's golf party from How Does She? and these were one of my favorite ideas! They made adorable "golf balls" but the idea could EASILY be translated to other party themes!

Here's how to do them for your next party:

1. We bought 4 dozen donut holes the morning of the party. Next time we'll buy them the night before. I actually think the freshness of the donut holes made 'em tougher to work with b/c they were SO soft!
2. Mom helped out by melting white chocolate (you can buy BIG blocks of it at Walmart for much cheaper than the little white chips I used for the favors) in a double broiler on the oven
3. We dipped the balls in the chocolate, covered them in white ball sprinkles, then set them on wax paper to dry
4. When almost dry we put them on white sticks!
5. We used green foam stuff used for flower arrangements as the base. I put that on a regular old cookie sheet then we stuck all the sticks in it and covered in green shredded paper. (I bought both the flower arrangement pieces and green paper shreds at Hobby Lobby for half off!).

These were SO SO SO YUMMY. Like seriously DELICIOUS! I will be making them at many more events in the future. They are easy, adorable, and super good. They were a HIT for the party! I do think next time they will look more "ball like" by buying the donut holes in advance because they were just so FRESH that they melted right along with the chocolate ;)

Golf Ball Cupcakes

2011-03-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

When looking at the golf party on How Does She? I thought the cupcakes she made were adorable but my first thought was green food coloring on my carpet. Um no thanks! Instead I got creative and ordered some supplies from Country Kitchen. I ordered brown cupcake liners, green long sprinkles (called jimmies...who knew?!?!) and the white golf ball toppers.

All I did to make them was use a simple chocolate boxed cake mix then frost them with vanilla frosting and dip into the sprinkles (a 1 lb bag of sprinkles had MORE than enough for 48 cupcakes). If you have cupcakes for an event I highly recommend making them the night before. I invested in a nice cupcake holder/carrier (I have this one from Crate and Barrel actually) and I put all the cupcakes in there after I make them (I need to get another one because I have to store the extra 24 cupcakes in random tupperware!). It makes them SO moist and ultra yummy for the event!

I think these turned out super cute and were VERY simple to make!

Decorative Sandwiches

2011-03-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Of course I got this idea from How Does She? and it's something that I will be using again and AGAIN in the future. It can work for ANY theme and it's cheap and easy (which are my two requirements of crafty diy type things!).

1. I bought scrapbook size paper (12x12) and we cut them into strips.

2. We made the sandwiches (wheat bread, some with turkey, some with ham, american cheese, and lettuce!) and tried to keep them as neatly contained within the bread as possible. Then we simply wrapped the paper around each half

3. We stuck a custom golf tee (thanks to MidTownTees on Etsy) through each one and they looked ADORABLE!!!

You could mix it up for a different theme with different paper and something else for the "tee" part. Or even just get colored tees to match your theme as they are not expensive at all (plus we kept all the tees people left and Zach will use them on his golf outings)

Starr Studded Dip

2011-03-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

I love when friends share recipes with me! I'm not creative enough to think up things on my own and I enjoy getting to taste test stuff before spending time and money making it. At my first Stella and Dot Trunk Show, Brooke Starr introduced me to this yummy sweet dip and I am pumped to use it tonight when I go to a neighborhood ladies game night and attempt to win over my neighbors ;) I think it'll be a hit!

I'm pretty sure Brooke will be happy to have me share this recipe of hers since she did hand it out at the Trunk Show and since we all helped her name it!!! :)

Ingredients
1. 8 oz cream cheese
2. 1 stick butter
3. 1/4 tsp vanilla
4. 2 tbl brown sugar
5. 3/4 cup powdered sugar
6. 3/4 cup mini choc chips (I used a whole bag though...I mean choc chips are one of those things you can't have too much of!)
7. graham crackers

Directions
1. I set out the butter and cream cheese for awhile to soften some
2. Put everything in a bowl (other than the choc chips) then whip with a hand mixer until smooth
3. Stir in choc chips
4. Keep in fridge until ready to serve
5. Serve with graham crackers

SUPER easy and AMAZINGLY yummy!

I had Zach do a taste test and he approves! Thanks Brooke :)

Block Cards

2011-03-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

I enjoy crafts but I also enjoy easy and cheap ones :) I saw this in a magazine and thought "finally! something we can do without having to go out and buy stuff!" We used this technique for making Kye's Valentine's Day cards, but really you could use it for any occasion.

All you need is some paper, crayons, and blocks. Easy enough? It took me AGES to figure out how to make the blocks stay still so I could make a rubbing of them on the paper with the crayons and Zach came over and figured out how to solve the problem right away. Surround your phrase with other blocks to keep it still! It worked great!!!

I did all the rubbings since Kye is too young but with an older child this would be super fun and entertaining. I rubbed the "outside" of the cards with cute Valentine's Day phrases ("SWAT," "Te Amo," "Be Mine," "So Sweet," and "I Love You") then thought it'd be a sweet touch to rub "Love Kye" on the inside of all the cards. After the rubbings were complete it was time for Kye to decorate! I gave him Valentine's Day colored crayons (reds, pinks, and purples) and heart stickers then let him go to town!

We made them for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even the great-grandparents! While I only heard from a couple of people who got them, I think they turned out pretty adorable, don't you?

Of course anything made by Kye is precious ;)

I'd love to see the block letter cards you come up with!

Cheesy Lunchbox Muffins

2010-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe from The Sneaky Chef by: Missy Chase Lapine and it's a great way to sneak in carrot and sweet potato as well as some apple into your child's diet!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vege or canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup orange puree
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup diced cooked ham, turkey, salami or bologna if desired (I didn't add it since I typically spread peanut butter on his muffins for protein)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375, line muffin tin with paper liners (if used, I just sprayed them)
In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
In another mixing bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, orange puree, cheese and optional meat.
Fold dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until the flour is just moistened - don't overmix
Fill each muffin cup almost to the top, spooning about 1/4 cup batter into each
Bake 25-27 minutes until tops are golden brown
Serve warm or wrap and store in refrigerator (for up to 3 days) or freezer (for up to 3 months)
Defrost and place in lunchbox with an ice pack

Result:

Kye loves them and I think they will be SO useful for when Kye has a little lunchbox to take to school. I like that I'll be able to offer him variety other than just pbj and that he'll be eating something healthy without even realizing it!

Purple Puree

2010-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is used for all recipes that call for "purple puree" it is from the cookbook The Sneaky Chef by: Missy Chase Lapine.

Ingredients:

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Fill bowl of food processor with spinach, blueberries, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water
Puree on high until as smooth as possible. If needed, use another tablespoon of water to smooth-out puree
This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double if you want to store more. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions sealed in plastic bags (this is what I did).

Results:

This is the grossed looking puree of all! While it's gross looking, it was the easiest to prepare and I think it's one of the healthiest ones since it has both blueberries and spinach!

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2010-07-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

This is a GREAT one for a party or when having company over for dinner. If I make it for just my little family we'll eat it as our entire meal. It's super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser :)

Ingredients

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350
Drain and finely chop artichoke hearts
Mix all ingredients together in a 9 inch quiche dish or pie plate
Bake 20 min
Serve with crackers or veges

We buy a loaf of French bread from the bakery at whatever grocery store we're at and I will cut it up into pieces and stick it in the oven for the last 5-10 min that the dip is in so it gets a little crispy!

I like that I can make this in advance when we have company and just keep it in the fridge until I need to heat it. I've never had anyone not like it and it's a good way to get Zach to eat some spinach :)

Orange Puree

2010-06-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

This puree is used in all recipes that call for an "orange" puree. It's a blend of carrots and sweet potatoes and is from the cookbook The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato (or yam) peeled and roughly chopped
3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2-3 tablespoons of water

Directions:

In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water and boil for 20 min until very tender (especially the carrots).
Drain the carrots and potatoes and put in bowl of food processor with two tablespoons of water.
Puree on high until smooth. No chunks or pieces of carrot or potato should remain.

This makes about 2 cups of puree. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags (that's what I did!).

White Puree

2010-06-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

This puree is used in all recipes that call for the "white" puree. I also call it the "cauliflower puree." This recipe is from the Sneaky Che f by: Missy Chase Lapine.

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets (I used frozen)
1-2 medium zucchini, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I used some from a bottle)
1-2 tablespoons water, if needed

Directions:

On the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the cauliflower, and steam for about 10 minutes until tender, drain.
OR: to prepare in microwave (this is what I did) place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with water, and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes until very tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, place the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice in your food processor (I don't have one so I used a blender) and pulse a few times. Next add the cooked cauliflower and 1 tablespoon of water to the food processor (work in batches if needed) and puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water make a smooth puree, but the less water, the better.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double if you want to store more. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions sealed in plastic bags (this is what I did).

Results:

I think this will probably be the most useful puree out of them all. It's white so it's easy to sneak into foods and I've heard that cauliflower is basically tasteless. I plan on using it not only in the recipes that call for it but also in mashed potatoes!

Surprise-icle

2010-06-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe online out of the cookbook The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. It is a great summer treat that sneaks in both carrots and sweet potatoes!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Mott's Medleys Juice, Tropical Flavor
1/4 cup Orange Puree
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons sugar
rainbow sprinkles, optional (I didn't use them, my child isn't old enough to notice!)

Directions:

Blend ingredients except sprinkles together in blender until smooth. Drop a few spinkles (if desired) into each popsicle mold and then pour equal amounts of the mixture in each. Insert stick and freeze for at least 3 hours. (I have that popsicle making set of 4 molds and it fit perfectly!)

I haven't had Kye try this yet as I just haven't been home around snack time but I'm sure he will like it! Especially since he's teething right now and anything cold always helps :)

Green Puree

2010-06-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is taken from The Sneaky Chef by: Missy Chase Lapine I don't have her cookbook but I found the recipe online :)

Ingredients:

2 cups raw baby spinach leaves (or 1 cup frozen, which is what I did)
2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sweet green peas (frozen)
2-3 tablespoons of water

Directions:

If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if package says "prewashed"
To prepare on stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegtable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.
OR to prepare in microwave (which is what I did, of course) place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree.

This makes about 2 cups of puree. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags (that's what I did!).

Apple Breakfast Bars

2010-06-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Wholesome Toddler Foods and it's really great! It "sneaks in" healthy nuts, grains, and plenty of fruits! If you use Mott's Meadley's Juice then you're also getting some vegetables in there too!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat if you have it, I didn't)
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice (I didn't have orange juice so I used apple...I think they would have stuck together better if I'd had the orange. And next time I plan on using Mott's Meadley's to get in some vegetable!)
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375
Combine all ingredients, let stand 10 minutes
Press mix into an 8x8 baking dish and bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes..
Cut into bars while warm and serve hot for breakfast or a snack
Freezes well. I put in a freezer safe bag and get one out when needed for a snack and heat in microwave for 25 seconds.

Result:
This is a Kye favorite food! Of course, I wish there was a vegetable in there somehow (but the Mott's adds it so I feel better about it!) but again it makes for a nutritious snack. I have offered it at breakfast but since our normal breakfast uses vegetables I typically keep these for snack time. The dates were TOUGH to chop up and I may try to find some already chopped or shredded next time if they make such a thing. Overall though it's a pretty easy recipe and they hold up VERY well when frozen!

Snack Cracker Spread

2010-06-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

This is a GREAT snack food! Super simple, quick, and nutritious. As well as filling enough to get him through until dinner! It's great to give some extra grains and fruit into the diet.

Ingredients:

Graham crackers or salt free saltine crackers
Applesauce or any fruit puree
Cinnamon
Raisins
Wheat Germ

Directions:

Mix cinnamon, wheat germ and raisins into the applesauce or fruit puree. Spread over the crackers.
Other than crackers you could also use pita bread slices or plain rice cakes

Results:
Kye loves these! I love them because they are so easy to prepare and he really enjoys them too. Of course he eats off all the toppings first then eats the cracker but that's fine! I wish there was a way to make it with vegetables as Kye will eat fruit all day long but I still feel like this is a healthy snack and better than a lot of the alternatives out there.

Frozen Ban-Ola

2010-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

This one looks very gross but it's a big hit for snack time! I got this recipe from Wholesome Toddler Foods and it is a great way to get your toddler to eat fruit, dairy, and some healthy grains!

Ingredients:

1 medium banana, peeled
1/2 cup crushed granola
plain or vanilla yogurt (blueberry works well too)

Directions:

Dip banana in your choice of yogurt
Roll banana in crushed granola
Place in freezer bag and freeze. To thaw just put out for a couple of minutes until soft enough to cut.

I used blueberry yogurt and I did 1/3 of a banana as a serving as the bananas I bought were rather large. I think I made about 9 servings of it and freezed them. They thaw very quickly so it's a good quick snack food. The cold is great for a teething toddler as well! And it's a very easy finger food for him. He loves this snack but I only give it to him on days where he doesn't eat a lot of other dairy. He eats banana each morning and I don't like to overdue it on the banana or on the dairy as he's a milk lover!

Sweet Potato Fries

2010-06-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Wholesome Toddler Food and use it all the time. I know it's probably a "no brainer" recipe to most people but I do best when given instructions so I thought I'd provide them in case someone out there is like me and needs a recipe to follow :)

Preheat oven to 400
scrub sweet potatoes (they say 6 medium/large ones but I only use 1 or 2) clean and/or peel them if you don't think your child can handle the skins (Kye likes them so I leave them)
Cut into sizes that will suit your need or cut into strips that you can cut down later (I do the strips)
In a large bowl put 1/4 cup of olive oil and add cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar etc (I put both cinnamon and brown sugar)
Toss the cut up sweet potatoes into the bowl and stir so they are drenched in the olive oil mix.
Dump onto a baking sheet, drizzle remaining olive oil over potatoes on sheet
Stir and swirl potatoes on baking sheet before placing in oven
bake 30-45 minutes or until tender (I do around 30)

The only thing I've changed about this is the whole bowl thing. Why mix it in a bowl then pour it on the baking sheet? I just do it all right on the baking sheet to save time and having the hassle of cleaning the bowl haha!

Kye adores sweet potatoes and often eats them baked from the microwave. I like to make the fries as a nice variety to the same old thing and he enjoys them too. I wouldn't say he likes them more or less than the baked version but Zach said he liked them in the fry version so I guess that's a plus in that direction!

Magic Breakfast

2010-06-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Growing up as a picky eater my mom found her own ways to sneak nutrition into my diet by making "Magic Malts." I'm still to this day not exactly sure what was in them but I know it included Minute Maid OJ, bananas, and green beans...but hey we drank 'em!

My version of a "Magic Malt" comes in the form of oatmeal. Kye started out eating cereal like most babies and he still eats oatmeal just about every morning. He loves it and it's good for him! I've started adding things to it to make it more nutritious (and delicious?!?) and it "sneaks" in two servings of green vegetable, 2 servings of grains, and 2 servings of fruit! Here's a picture of his typical breakfast:

Ready to hear what it includes?

1/4 cup Gerber oatmeal
1/4 cup water
1/3-1/4 container of Gerber stage 2 green vegetable (either peas or green beans)
small my size handful of frozen peas

I heat the first four ingredients in the microwave for 25 seconds then stir and add:

1/4-1/3 of a banana
1 prune
pieces of either apple, peach, or pear

Sound good? Kye LOVES it!!! I sometimes will add Cheerios to the mix too if it's too runny. And ANY fresh fruit will work if I don't have apples, peaches or pears! Got any ideas of other goodies to add???

Carrot and Spinach Brownies

2010-06-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld and sneaks carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peas and spinach into chocolate brownies!

Ingredients:

nonstick cooking spray
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet choc chips)
1/2 cup carrot puree ("orange")
1/2 cup spinach puree ("green")
1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.
Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or over a very low flame (I just microwaved it!)
In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy (1-2 min)
Whisk in egg whites. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool COMPLETELY in pan before cutting into bars. (to freeze I wrapped each bar in cling wrap then put in a freezer safe bag, to thaw I microwave for about 20 seconds)

Results:

TIP: I read that it's very important not to eat any of them until they are completely cooled as you'll be able to taste the spinach!
Toddler: Kye LOVES these! He liked them right away and I give him 1/2 a bar as a dessert. I love that it counts as a dessert but is much healthier than his typical dessert (which is a cracker).
Adult: Both Zach and I tried these. I thought they were a bit dry but I couldn't tell it was "healthy" at all. Zach said it tasted like a health food bar so while it wasn't gross it surely couldn't replace a regular brownie in his book!

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

2010-06-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that "sneaks in" either carrots and sweet potatoes or cauliflower and zucchini! From Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

Ingredients:

nonstick cooking spray
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter (I used Jif)
1/2 cup pureed carrot ("orange") or pureed cauliflower ("white")
1/2 cup mashed banana (I used 1 1/2 bananas to get 1/2 cup mashed)
1 large egg white
1 cup whole wheat flour (all I had was white)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray.

2. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, peanut butter, vegetable puree of your choice (I used cauliflower as Kye loves orange veges so I don't need to sneak those in!), banana, and egg in a large mixing bowl (a large wooden spoon is suggested)

3. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and combine with a whisk

4. Fold the dry mix into the wet mix and combine just until lumpy. Don't over mix as it's a muffin recipe and you want them lumpy. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir once or twice (this put s a crust on top of the muffins)

5. Divide the batter between the muffins. Cook until lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean (15-20 min)

6. Store at room temperature up to two days, freeze up to a month (to freeze I wrapped individually in cling wrap then put in a freezer bag, to thaw I heat in the microwave for 25 seconds)

Result:

Toddler: At first he wouldn't try it. But that's typical for a toddler. So I smeared some peanut butter on the pieces and he went to town. He LOVES these now and I typically will give him 1/2 of one with lunch.
Adult: Neither Zach or I like bananas and Zach said it smells very banana-ish. I didn't completely mash up all the bananas either so you can still see chunks of them so I haven't tried them. The next batch I plan on mashing up the bananas better and then I'll test one and see what I think, I doubt Zach will try it though as he really loathes bananas. This will probably be a Kye-only food!

Name Your Own Hotel Price

2010-05-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Zach and I recently used Priceline's Name Your Own Price program and I had to pass along the details! We LOVED our experience with it and got the opportunity to stay in a 3 star hotel room that was SO SO much nicer than the 2 star one we had originally booked for almost the same price! I wanted to use it one more time before blogging about it and Zach did it again recently so we know a little more about the program.

THE DEAL
You get to name your own price for a hotel and if they accept your bid then you get the hotel room for that price! We were able to stay at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, SC for $40 a night and when we got there the rooms were actually going for $219 a night!!!

HOW IT WORKS
Visit www.priceline.com, click on the "hotels" tab then the "name your own price" icon. You're able to enter in the city, dates, and number of rooms. The next screen then helps you narrow your location to a specific region and allows you to select the star level for your hotel.

After that info is entered then it comes the "trickier" part. You then enter in the price you are willing to pay for the star level you selected in the area you selected. My brother called me and had gotten the deal for the Embassy Suites so we just entered the same price he did ($40) and were lucky enough to get the same hotel!!! You can enter ANY price you want but if it's too low then the website will warn you that your most likely not going to get one for that price.

THE PROS
Um...it's pretty obvious that you get to get an AWESOME hotel for WAY cheaper than you'd normally be able to get it! When we booked the room in SC we actually had already checked all the hotel deal websites and booked the cheapest room we could find. It was a Knights Inn (reallly crappy) for $34 a night. We paid $6 more a night for a MUCH nicer room!!! Totally worth it :) On top of getting a great deal the whole experience gives you a rush. It's super exciting to enter a price and then be surprised at where you get to stay!!! And knowing that the hotel is guaranteed to be the star level you chose means you know you'll be somewhere nice.

THE CATCH
While it's super fun and a great deal there are downsides. Once you enter that price you're willing to pay then you are locked in at that hotel. IT selects the hotel FOR you (based on the location and star level) so you can't be very picky. For example we weren't able to find a room that allowed dogs. We just had to enter the price and hope for the best (it didn't allow dogs so we kenneled them instead). We were told, however, that ALL 3 star hotels have refrigerators and microwaves so we at least knew in advance that we'd be okay there!

It also is really only a great deal if you're traveling very soon from the time you book. The closer to the date of travel then the more likely the hotels are to be willing to give rooms for cheap since they know they probably won't get filled. I plan in advance so we won't get to use this deal very often (in this case it was a funeral situation so it was very last minute planning). It IS great though for Zach as he travels often for work and he can just book a hotel the day before he leaves!

When Zach went to use it recently for his business travel we did learn another downside. If you enter a price and no hotels will take it then you have to wait 24 hours before you can enter in another price for the same star level and location.

Also once it matches you with a room it calculates the taxes and fees. When we stayed in SC the $40 a night did NOT include the tax or fees which made the room actually cost more per night. We stayed 2 nights and got charged $16 for fees and taxes so that really made the room $48 a night. Still a GREAT deal and totally worth it but I wish they could tell you the fee amount up front so you'd be able to figure that in when you name your own price.

REVIEW
While there are downsides to using this program, we love it! Overall it IS cheaper than other sites around. Zach booked his hotel recently in the Atlanta area for $40 a night and all other hotel websites (including the regular Priceline site) had the same hotel (which was the CHEAPEST in the area) for $79 a night! I highly recommend using this program, especially if you're a last minute traveler!

Have you tried this out before? Any thoughts or things I didn't include???

Mr. Monkey - Lovie

2010-03-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed on my personal blog, I love Kye's Mr. Monkey! He sleeps with him every nap and at night and I'm so thankful we have him! I think he'll be a big help with weaning off the paci too :) I thought I'd share some info in case anyone wanted a Mr. Monkey of their own.

My mom actually bought Mr. Monkey for Kye for his first Easter. They make a smaller size (Kye has the big one) and they are great because they are machine washable! We actually bought a back-up one so that way when I do wash the "main" one he doesn't have to go without.

When he got the monkey I thought it was cute but I didn't want to put it in the crib with him due to SIDS risks. I actually decided to call the company about it. They were SUPER nice and explained to me that their "blankies" are the only ones that have been approved as safe at any age in a crib!!! The material is breathable and it's a good side to insure they won't somehow hurt themselves with it. It's been voted one of the 10 best toys by Dr. Toys and I agree with him, out of all the the baby junk I've fallen for and purchased this is one thing I'm so thankful we have!

Here is the site to order one for yourself...they are by Komet Creations. You can't actually order off the site but they have a link to find a retailer near you or you can google "komet creations lovie" and a bunch of online stores pop up! I actually decided to write this post because I googled "lovie" (Mr. Monkey's official name) and a MILLION things came up that weren't lovies and it took me awhile to find the actual site! They have tons of different types of animals and things too. I actually told Mrs. Charlotte about Kye's awhile back and now Payton, Kye's cousin, sleeps with a Hippo every night! had to share so other babies out there can enjoy their own "Mr. Monkey" too!

B. Toys

2010-03-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

Before Kye's birthday I went to Target to make a wishlist for him and I saw these neat toys! They are by a company called B.toys (link is to their facebook fan page, their company site isn't up and running yet). I was drawn to them mainly because of the colors the company uses. Instead of the bright, primary colors of every toy on the market these are more modern looking with fun, funky colors and cool designs.

For Kye's birthday we got him three of their toys: Parum Pum Pum drum, Fish and Splish bath boat, and Times Square. B.toys is a new company and I love that on the facebook fan page they ask for fans input on things! It was neat to finally get to open the toys and check them out!!! My favorite is the drum...it is filled with musical instruments and they are REAL ones! The tub toy is really neat too, it was cheaper than the one we almost bought by Fisher Price and it came with a lot more fun toys! Our least favorite is the Times Square cube only because it didn't come with directions and took us a while to figure out how to open it as well as how to get the batteries in it. I plan on letting the company know about those issues as I'd hate for someone to get that as their first toy by the company then not like them because of those flaws!

Not only do I like the look of the toys but I LOVE the prices! They were all under $20 each which for baby toys is pretty awesome! I highly recommend checking them out for yourself (I know they are available through target!)

Green "Jungle" Punch

2010-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Cooks and I didn't even test it before I used it for the party! After the party started and people kept telling me how good it was I tried some and yup, it's a winner for sure! And it fits my requirements of being easy and cheap :) It was actually the ONLY thing we "ran out of" during the party and we had to make another batch!

You need:

2 liters ginger ale (when I went to Publix all they had was Diet but it worked and no one noticed!)

1 large container of frozen lemonade

1 large can of pineapple juice chilled (I kept it in my fridge until the day of the party)

1 qt lime sherbet

Obviously I doubled this recipe and I was thankful I did as it ALL got gobbled up! I didn't make the punch until about 10 minutes prior to the party and all I did was dump all the ingredients in the punch bowl and stir it up! Enjoy :)

Jungle Vine

2010-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

My mom is an elementary school teacher which can be pretty handy when I need creative help! When we decided to do the monkey theme she came up with the idea to make a vine to hang in the house as part of the decorations.

If you haven't noticed a theme to my party decorations yet, here it is: CHEAP and EASY! haha! We used brown paper bags (Publix will give them to you for free!). We cut the bags to make them open and long then rolled them up and twisted them to make them vine-like. We attached them together with stables. Then I bought bendable ivy from Hobby Lobby (which was kinda expensive, they were 1/2 off but were still $6 each and I bought two) and we cut it up and wrapped it around random sections. Zach (being 6'5" is so helpful at times!) attached them to the wall in the dining room them wrapped them around the chandelier. They looked better than I pictured in my head and we added a blow up monkey Seth and Crissy let us borrow to hang down from his home!

Monkey Cupcakes

2010-03-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

I opted to do cupcakes for Kye's party because I didn't want to hassle with cutting a cake (I'm awful at it) or worrying with buying silverware. Cupcakes are cute, cheap, easy, and everyone likes them! I hunted online for a monkey type design that wouldn't require a bunch of different ingredients or time. I found the one I used from some RANDOM site and I think they turned out great!

I used a box of chocolate cake (I think it's was actually Devil's Food Cake) and milk chocolate frosting (I read that it's better to use the milk chocolate kind b/c it's lighter in color). Then I bought mini-vanilla waffers and Zach cut them in half for me to use for the ears. I used 3/4 of the original sized vanilla waffers for the face. Then all I did was buy black frosting gel and red frosting gel for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth! Very simple and cute! As they sat the waffers actually got soft which people told me made them even better :)

Birthday Banners

2010-03-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

I originally got this idea from Rachael who bought a banner for her daughter's first birthday. You can find banners that look pretty much just like the one I made on Esty! I seriously considered buying one but they cost around $20 each and who wants to spend that kind of money on some paper on a string? I saw on Kelly Brown's blog that she made her own for her daughters birthday and I figured if she can do it then so can I!

While Robyn was a HUGE help with this project I can still walk you through how to make it! You can click on the picture above to make it bigger so you can copy what I did if you want to! I used plain colored card stock paper for the backs of each square and cut them 1 inch bigger on each side than I cut the patterned paper. I actually already had ALL the paper at home left over from my scrapbooking days buy you can find paper pretty cheap at places like Hobby Lobby.

I taped the patterned paper to the plain paper with photo stickers as I think they are SO much easier to work with than glue! I also bought chipboard letters from Hobby Lobby and used the photo stickers to stick them to the patterned paper. I had to buy three boxes of letters in order to get enough of each letter for the banners and I got them on sale 40% off each (sign up for Hobby Lobby emails and they email you a weekly coupon!) and I think they were originally $5.99 per box. Some of the letters had sticky on the back but they still needed to be re-inforced with the tape!

For the ribbon I used the thinnest ribbon I could find and bought it in plain red. I used a cute little hole punch and punched it at each corner then just put the ribbon through and bam! I was done! It's such an easy project that I will probably be making one EVERY year for each child's party (or at least saving the ones I make to see if they fit for a theme later down the road). Here is a picture of the one of Kye's name and I just taped it to his high chair tray!

If you don't use ANY of my other party ideas for your next party, this is the one I'd "steal" if I were you! It was just SO easy and looked SO good!!!

Banana Favors

2010-03-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

When you have a monkey themed birthday party you HAVE to have bananas! I thought they would make cute, fun, simple party favors and I was right! I think it was one of the things people will remember most about the party and I love that adults and children alike could enjoy them!

I had a basket sitting around my house that I used to keep them in and I tied random little ribbons all over it so it'd match the rest of the party. I bought the bananas the day before and used string to tie on the little cards. I ordered them from Etsy (Chickabug was the seller and she was GREAT). I spent $15 total on them as they were $5 per sheet and each sheet came with 8. I know that's a little expensive but it was a super cute personal touch and I love that they were made custom for his party! They read "Thanks for swinging by for my 1st Birthday! Love, Kye"

Party Hats and Noise Makers

2010-03-01T07:11:00.000-08:00

It took me FOREVER to be able to find simple, PLAIN party stuff. Everywhere I looked everything had a ton of ugly designs on it and I really just wanted everything to match and have a simple, home-made look to it. I finally found some GREAT stuff at Pretty Party Place. For the noise makers I only paid $4 for 16 of them! For the party hats I paid $6 for 24. Great deal huh?

To add a little something personal to the noisemakers I hot glued ribbon around them. I think Zach thought I was a little nuts for doing this! At first I was going to just tie the ribbon but it didn't look as neat as I wanted so I whipped out the hot glue gun and went to town. It took only about 15 minutes and I think it was well worth it!

Originally I was planning on making super cute birthday hats by gluing ribbon and pom-poms around them. I wanted to make three special ones (one for Kye, one for Zach, and one for myself) and then just stick stickers on all the rest of them. Then I noticed that the hats had a slit up the back and a little hole on the top so I simply tied a knot in the bottom of little pieces of ribbon and strung it through! I used three pieces per hat and just let them hang there. They turned out so so great! I ended up making 15 of them and didn't bother to do any "special" ones because I liked these so much! And you can buy ones that look like this on Etsy for $5 or $6 PER hat! Think how much I could make if I sold these (I won't be doing that but still!).

The stickers read "Happy 1st Birthday Kye" and I used them on all of the hats as well as on the party balloons. I order them for $4 a sheet (25 per sheet) from Etsy. Special thanks to Chickabug who was SO sweet and helpful with everything! I realize now that I should have just ordered ONE sheet as I had a LOT left over! I have the extras to Mom to use to pass out at her class!

Upromise Savings

2010-02-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone has heard of Upromise before and how they offer savings for college for your every day purchases. I started a UPromise account in high school and didn't really do much with it. I registered all my credit cards on their site (and my dad's too haha) and kinda forgot about it. Then Zach and I moved into our new home in 2008 and were trying to come up with ANY extra money we could to be able to buy furniture and I remembered my UPromise account. I checked it out and had about $250 in it! I know, that's not a TON of money but it was FREE MONEY that I earned by just using my registered credit cards! I cashed it in and they sent me a check for the full amount in my account!

They advertise UPromise as a college savings and it can be, but it can also just be a general savings account and you can cash in the money at any time. We recently started shopping at Publix so I got a UPromise card from them (you can ask at the check out line) and registered it on my account. Now every time we shop and scan the card we rack up some money in our UPromise savings! I'm hoping we can use it for Kye in the future but it's nice to have just in case something comes up where we need it. Sure it's not much (like we save $0.26 or something when we shop) but every little bit helps and over the years it'll add up to be a decent bit of money. Since I gutted the account in 2008 I've already earned back $87!

I also downloaded a reminder tool from their site that alerts me anytime I'm shopping on a website that would allow me to earn UPromise savings. I click "get my savings" and BAM! I automatically earn a little money from each purchase I make. MOST sites I shop from participate and some, like Vistaprint, actually give me BIGGER discounts by being a UPromise member! I know I could take advantage of a lot more savings offered on the site and I need to take the time to look through everything.

I highly recommend creating your free UPromise account today! Even if you don't need a college savings fund, why not earn a little extra dough on purchases you're already making?

I LOVE Vistaprint!

2010-02-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

I had to write a little shout out to Vistaprint. I have been using them for YEARS and have never been disappointed. You can find just about anything on their site and everything is much better quality than you'd expect for the price. I've ordered Christmas cards, shower invitations, our RSVP cards for our wedding, photo calendars for Christmas gifts, photo mouse pads for Christmas gifts, and now birthday invitations!

You can choose from any of their designs and edit them however you want. You can also upload pictures and add them to anything you want as well! They ALWAYS have stuff on sale and whenever you place an order they send you a coupon for 25% off your next purchase.

The only downside? The shipping takes a LONG time. Like 20 days if you do their cheapest method. Since I'm a planner this isn't typically a problem and when it is I call them directly and they have ALWAYS given me a free upgrade shipping. When I ordered the mouse pads at Christmas one of them had an issue (Kye looked like he had devil eyes in one of the pictures). I called them and they let me keep the original mouse pad, credited my account for the cost of the mouse pad, AND sent me a new one that got to me in 2 days time! I was SO impressed with them and will be continuing to use them in the future!

If you are a UPROMISE member, you get additional discounts through their site! I'd love to hear how you like Vistaprint and where you get your invitations and such from!

Pampered Chef Bread Tube

2010-02-20T05:11:00.000-08:00

An old friend had one of these and would make this bread spread ALL the time and now it's one of our family favorites too!

First, you need the bread tube itself. These are AWESOME. My friend had the flowered one so I first bought that one but for Valentine's Day I invested in the heart shaped one too. AND I've just ordered the star shaped one and hope it comes in time to use for Kye's 1st Birthday Party!

You can find the tubes on Ebay for VERY low prices (I only paid $3 for the star one). You can click on the link to automatically see results for the search!

For the bread spread I make all you need is:

Pillsbury Italian or French bread loaf (in the dough tube like crescent rolls)

Ranch Packets

Whipped Cream Cheese

I use one packet for a little less than 8 oz of cream cheese but you can just slowly mix the two together and get the consistency you like. My friend who made them first put little cucumbers on top but I don't know anyone who really likes those so I just don't include them. When finished it makes an adorable and YUMMY treat!

I'm so excited to use my heart one for Valentine's Day next year. The tubes come with instructions on how to make the bread and the heart one I got had some other ideas in it too. Next year I plan to make the bread and use it for little sandwiches for lunch then the bread spread at dinner. I also plan to make rice krispie treats inside of it AND ice cream! All you do for the ice cream is fill it with ice cream then stick it in the freezer for awhile and you'll have heart shaped ice cream! How fun is that?!?

Everyone that's ever seen me make this bread has complimented on how cute it is and how amazing it tastes. So many people have mentioned buying one and I totally recommend it! I'd love to hear your thoughts on them or any neat ideas you may have to use them for!!!

Roasted "Pork" Tenderloin

2010-02-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of our family favorites and is VERY easy!

Since Zach and I do Weight Watchers I've converted it a little bit to make it less points and it's still FABULOUS!

Roast "Pork" Tenderloin Supper

2 pork tenderloins (I used Jennie-O Turkey Tenderloins instead to make the meal lower points and one package had 2 in it)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 oz of cream cheese or neufchantal cheese (I used fat free cream cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. heat large skillet on medium heat then add pork and cook 5 min or until browned on all sides
3. remove meat from skillet and place in 9x13 baking dish
4. combine mustard and thyme and spread evenly onto meat
5. bake 20-25 min then transfer to a cutting board and tent with fork (I have NO clue what tenting means so I just sat it on the cutting board?) and let stand for 5 min.
6. meanwhile add broth to skillet and bring to a boil on high setting
7. reduce to medium-low and add cheese cooking 2 min or until well blended, stirring constantly
8. cut meat into thin slices

I put the broth/cheese mix into little condiment serving dishes and use it as a dip for the meat. It's super yummy and if you use the Jenni-O turkey substitute then it makes:

8 SERVINGS at 2 WW POINTS PER SERVING (including the meat dip!)

If anyone tries it let me know what you think! Even Kye enjoyed it for our Valentine's Day Feast!

Valentine's Day Box

2010-02-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

I love holidays! And I love making them festive and fun for my family! Even if I have a baby who won't remember any of it, I still get into it!

Growing up I remember my mom making a Valentine's Day box. She'd pull it out every year when Valentine's Day was getting close and we'd make things for each other and put them in the box along with any little gifts or cards or candy and such. Then on Valentine's Day we'd open it!

Simple idea, I know. But it's such a great one because you SEE this box sitting out and it makes you more excited to open it on the BIG day AND it makes you want to buy or make little things to put in it!

This year I made our family's first Valentine's Day box!

I went to Office Depot and asked them for an extra copy paper box then went to Hallmark and bought some cute festive paper. It was a pretty big pain to wrap the whole thing so it looked good but I think it did a pretty good job! I also put paper on the inside so you wouldn't see an empty box before we put stuff in it. As Kye gets older I plan to let him decorate it with stickers and such but for now this will do! And Zach cut the hole in the top for me too!

For Valentine's Day we buy each other cheap little things and this is a great way to encourage giving but also to find creative ways to keep the gifts small enough to fit in the box!

Little Laundry Tricks

2010-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

As a new mom I'm always on the look out for ways to make life a little easier. One area that got a lot messier once we had Kye was laundry. There is a lot more of it and a lot more stains to get out!

Clothing that gets stained might as well be tossed in the trash. You won't keep it for your next baby and you can't sell it online or at any used kids sale. It's a TOTAL waste! I do everything I can to prevent stains but with a boy they are BOUND to happen. Here are a few little tricks I've learned with doing laundry!

1. Oxiclean: It should be every mom's best friend! I put some (I use the powder form) right in the wash basin of the washer before EVER load and it really does make our colors brighter and our clothes look new longer. I also use it to soak things in. Whenever an item has a stain I put a little of the oxiclean in a bowl with cold water and let the garment soak for HOURS before I wash it. I'd say 99.9% of the time the stain comes out. If not, I'll wash it then soak it again and THEN it will come out. NONE of my clothes have stains. NONE of my child's clothes have stains. Thanks to oxiclean! I actually had a brand new white tank top get red kool aid all over it and yup, it came out.

2. Laundry Day: Every Monday in our home is laundry day. I've read other blogs that recommend spreading it out throughout the week but I know that it saves money on both electric and water to do full loads back to back. I have three small laundry baskets from Dollar General that I use when the clothes are clean. They get sorted into "mommy" "daddy" and "baby" baskets then each basket goes to the right bed rooms to put away. I don't sit and fold it all, I just toss it in the basket then fold it as I put it up. I think this saves a lot of time from folding it all in advance then it getting messed up in the transfer.

3. Breastfed Baby Poop: If you have a breastfed baby then you know what I'm talking about...not to get too graphic but that junk looks exactly like butterscotch pudding! The best solution I found? THE SUN! I'm not kidding! I'd rinse out the clothes in the sink then lay them in the backyard and usually the sun would somehow magically make the poop disappear! And if it didn't go away 100% then I'd just follow my oxiclean soaking routine!

4. No Ironing: I don't iron. I loathe it. We recently invested in front loading energy star washer and dryers and the dryer actually has a setting called "rapid refresh" I swear it's amazing! We pick out what we plan to wear that day (works GREAT before church!), toss it all in, and in about 20 min we have wrinkle free clothes without the ironing. Now obviously you aren't going to run out and buy a new washer and dryer just to not have to iron but if you're in need of a new one I recommend looking for this setting!

5. Wash it all together: I know SOME babies may have issues with laundry detergent and truly need their clothes washed in Dreft. I, however, feel it's a rip off scam. I leave the tags on ALL of my son's clothes until he wears them. I don't wash them first. I also do this with all of my clothes. When you wash something it will NEVER look as new again so why waste that new look??? I was all of my son's clothes WITH our clothes and use the same detergent and stuff that I do for ours.

Any other tips to share???

Quick, EASY Stir-Fry

2010-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

My soon-to-be one year old son has started to be in a rather picky stage with food where you can't just give him raw, cooked veges and expect him to eat them. I know MOST mommies out there can easily come up with ways of getting those veges into foods but I have a hard time making things up on my own without a recipe...

But I did it this time! And I'm proud of it!

I buy LOTS of different frozen vegetables (aren't as healthy as fresh, aren't as bad as canned though either) and will put a handful of each into a large skillet. Pour in a little olive oil and some teriyaki sauce and let it cook until the veges are soft. I then use a sharp knife and cut it all up while in the pan. My son LOVES it and while he'll NEVER eat broccoli he gobbles it down when I make this!

Some of the frozen foods I've used include: broccoli, cauliflower, squash, carrots, butter beans, green beans, asparagus, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, peas, corn, and anything else I can come up with!!!

I feel like all foods stay good for about a week then I toss them. This is the ONE thing I make that I KNOW he'll gobble up every time I feed it to him during that week! Even my hubby says it smells good enough to eat and he is pretty picky with vegetables!

Anyone else have any quick, easy, healthy food tips I can use? Anyone try my stir-fry with good results? Or add anything to it that makes it even a bigger hit? Let me know!

FREE Gap Money Cards

2010-02-13T05:18:00.000-08:00

Gap Visa
I have a few store credit cards and most of them promise BIG things. Great deals, lots of rewards, amazing coupons and offers. Well, all of them disappoint. EXCEPT one and that's the Gap card! I assume the sister stores (Old Navy and Banana Repubic) have the same or similar rewards set ups but I have been SO grateful for my Gap credit card!

THE DEALS
First, you get some BIG discounts when you initially sign up for the card. (they vary on when you sign up)

Every Tuesday you get 10% off ANY Gap, Old Navy, or Banana Republic purchase. In store or online.
You also get a TON of GREAT coupons and special offers. I NEVER shop at these stores WITHOUT some kind of great coupon! And I honestly haven't EVER used the Tues 10% off deal because I ALWAYS can find something better than 10% off.

You also earn rewards VERY quickly. I get little money cards all the time, just for using my card on purchases I'd make anyway! I'm not sure how they reward you, but who cares if I'm earning them left and right?!?

Once you spend $800 on Gap, Old Navy, or Banana Republic purchases in a calendar year you get upgraded to Silver Status which gives you lifetime free shipping online (I haven't reached this step yet)

WHAT I DO
ALL the time they send out these little cards saying that if you use your Gap card for 4 purchases OTHER than their retail stores in a given month that you'll earn a $20 Money Card. Um, that's FREE money! When I get these notices I use my Gap Card for 4 purchases during the time frame of the offer but on 4 things I'd normally buy anyway. I ALWAYS pay any cards off at the end of the month so I don't get SLAMMED with the interest but it's an EASY way to earn FREE MONEY!!!

THE CATCH
The money cards DO expire and sometimes they expire pretty quickly so make sure to read them on the back when you get them and use them prior to the experation date! I've had it happen once or twice where I went to use one and couldn't :(

DEALS I'VE GOTTEN
In the short time I've owned this card (since May of 2008) I've earned more than $250 worth of FREE money cards. I earned most of them through the 4-purchases-outside-of-Gap deal (they have that deal ALL the time) and it's been wonderful!

The money cards CAN be combined AND can be used ONLINE OR at GAP OUTLET! AND I've had them also let me use coupons WITH them (I ALWAYS do the online customer survey for a 15% off coupon!) Who doesn't LOVE Gap stuff??? You can use them in any department but duh, I use them for ME ME ME!

This past week I had $80 worth of them and by shopping smart at Gap outlet (only buying things on clearance or on discount) I was able to get: 2 pairs of pants, a tank top, a short sleeve shirt, a cute pair of shoes, and 2 sweaters!!!

Anyone else have this card??? Or another store credit card that has awesome perks? Please share!!!

$292.00 worth of clothes for FREE and more to come!

2010-02-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

This was the deal that got me to start this blog! I HAD to share with others my great find. I've done it two years in a row now and plan to keep doing it in the future.

THE DEAL
If you have a credit card from either New York and Company or Victoria's Secret then I know you can sign up through them for this deal. I also just went to the company website (www.mylifestyleperks.com) and see on the home page that they offer the same deal through their direct site!

You sign up for the 30 day trial. It costs $0.99 and if you cancel within the 30 days they actually refund that $0.99 to you!!! If you forget to cancel they will charge you the $49.99 yearly fee but if you cancel within 30 days of that they will refund you the $49.99! SO you actually have about 60 days to take advantage of the deal! They are VERY nice about canceling and it's a super easy process!

WHAT YOU DO
When you sign up for it you need to keep ALL your receipts. Especially ones for gas, shipping costs for online shopping, and all others. They are only good to use from the date you sign up so be sure to keep them all! Once you get your membership info in the mail you can login to the website and print off coupon vouchers to mail in with your receipts. And yes, if you print off shipping receipts from online they DO work!

They have three categories and you earn gift cards in each:

1. online shipping costs
2. other retail costs
3. gas costs

You have to have $40 worth of receipts in each category to earn a $40 gift card from that category.

HOW IT WORKED
Within the 30 day period (I signed up in December so I was doing a LOT of online shopping then) I sent in $40 (I sent in MORE just to make sure it all worked) worth of receipts in each category.I called them multiple times for a couple of weeks until they told me they received my receipts and then I canceled the membership! You can also fax them the receipts which will get it to them quicker so you can cancel quicker too.

When I did it in 2008 I signed up through my Victoria's Secret credit card and they sent me $120 worth of Visa gift cards which were great because we used them on groceries. When I did it again in 2009 with my New Yorks and Company credit card they sent me $120 worth of New York and Company gift cards! My husband liked the Visa one better but I enjoyed a shopping spree!!!

WHAT I GOT SO FAR
I am a coupon QUEEN when it comes to shopping and I had a coupon good for $60 off a $125 purchase so I made sure to spend RIGHT at $125. I got:
2 pair of jeans (during the buy one pair of pants get one free promotion)
3 clearance items (during the buy one clearance get two clearance items free promotion) which included a sweater, a tank top, and another top
2 tops (during a 2 for $25 promotion)
and 1 cardigan (on sale from $44 to $20)

I ONLY bought things that were either on sale or part of a promotion and what I bought would have equaled $292. With the promotions it came to $135. After the coupon it came to $84 and I used the gift cards so it was all FREE!

WHAT I HAVE LEFT
That still leaves me with $40 worth of gift cards left AND since I "spent" so much I earned 2 "citicash" cards which are $15 off a $30 purchase each so I basically didn't just get free clothes, I EARNED "money" too!

Who WOULDN'T want to do this deal?!?!?
~Please let me know if anyone tries this out and how it works for you!!!!~

New Blog!

2010-02-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome!

I have loved blogging since I started my personal blog back in August of 2008. I've enjoyed keeping all of my memories of my life and sharing them with others. I decided to make this blog a less personal one. As a new mom and a deal-finder queen I feel like I learn a lot of little tips and tricks that are worth sharing! Of course some may not agree with me but we'll find out :)

I hope this blog can provide some great tips for others and that it will allow me to learn more from other moms out there too! Sharing is such a wonderful thing and we can all learn so much from other people's experiences!

Feel free to contact me anytime with any little tips you'd like to share at mommytradetricks@yahoo.com! I'd love to hear any advice you can offer!!!

Emily