Too Cute TuTu

My darling niece turned a big whopping year old on Saturday! I could go crazy with "where has the time gone?" and "she's growing up so fast", but I'll spare you the auntie insanity :) Instead, I'll choose to focus on how absolutely adorable she was at her little party!

My sister-in-law asked me a while back to work on an outfit for her to wear. After she chose a pink and brown theme for the party, I went to work creating a onesie and matching tutu for her big day. I'd been wanting to try my hand at a no-sew tutu for a while, after having tried the sew-able versions before. No-sew has to be easier, right? Well, you better believe it was easier! I wish I could say that I came up with this concept on my own, because it's so darn simple, but I must give the credit to the millions of hits on google.com when doing a search for "no sew tutu tuorial". I used this video as a tutorial, but there are tons more available. No, it's not my original idea, but I CAN offer this piece of advice. In the video, the lady suggests that you buy your tulle off the bolt. Well, Wal-Mart (and a variety of other stores) sell tulle by the spool in the wedding section. All you have to do is unroll a portion of the spool at a time and cut little strips. It's SOOO much easier than having to wrangle bolts of tulle.

This is a perfect craft for the upcoming Christmas season or for your birthday girl. And if you're going for a themed party, they're easy enough to make as favors for all the little guests. Your little sweethearts will love them...but don't take my word for it. Let the birthday girl speak for herself :)

(Shameless plug: These onesies are now available over at the improved Whatta Cute Baby! site. Mention Three Simple Girls when you order (through December 31, 2010) and you'll get free shipping on this item!)

-Sarai

Traveling Tips

Last year we made treat bags for our nephews and niece. Remember? If you're anything like us, you rotate your travels. That means this season we'll be on the road some... with three kids, three and under and several hours stretched out ahead of us... well, let's just say, we have ourselves some plans.

Usually we like to leave before the crack of dawn to ensure maximum amount of sleepy time. Kids still in their pjs, little traffic on the road, plenty of coffee for us grown-ups. Our latest travel didn't allow for such, though, since our oldest had preschool on the day of travel. That's when the plans come in handy.

First up, the Easy Lunch Boxes. I can't help it... I love them!
The peas and strawberries are frozen, but by the time we wanted to eat they were defrosted and ready to go... plus, you can get organic produce SO much cheaper by buying it frozen! If you want to keep your yogurt cold, add some of that frozen fruit to it... someone taught me that great tip and it works like a charm. And don't let the pinch of powdered sugar fool you even though it makes my kids feel like they're getting something quite special. That is one packed muffin... I experimented with spelt flour, applesauce, sweet potato puree, and raisins. Mmm... recipe to come!

The other thing we sometimes do is "Treat Hour." I take along a little dry erase strip or small chalkboard. At the beginning of each hour the kids get three stars or smiley faces or whatever we want to draw. At the end of the hour if they have at least one "thing" left, then they get a treat out of the bag. Here are some examples from our latest travel:

The trip is normally between six and seven hours, but I keep the entire box of lollipops in there just in case it takes longer. Between, I don't know, poops or spit ups or feeding or potty stops or... you get the picture of why we might need a back up to the back up plan. :) The other things include dollar store items like mini eye-spy books, activity pads in their favorite character, snack bags, candy rings, and a coupon for a smoothie stop. I try to pick out of the ordinary things that can keep them occupied for a good chunk of the hour ahead. The less kids are bored, the better!

We also like to keep a ready supply of other entertainment... music, Bible stories and other books on tape or CD (hitting up the library before hand is great for new titles), etc. Water bottles, favorite blankets and stuffed animals, and a few books per child are other things we make the most of (preferably titles they haven't read in a while or a couple of new books from the library).

Any successful traveling tips you use? We'd love to hear about them!
~Katrina

How a Birthday Party is Born

So this is yet another reason why I like to come up with birthday party themes far in advance. On my way into the grocery store this morning I noticed a 90% off sale on some summer items.

After digging through the pile I came away with this:
$100 worth of goodies for... $10*!!

I had already decided that my summer babe would have some sort of ice-cream shin dig this coming year because I found the cutest banner and napkins at Michael's on clearance. Add these fun things above... 2 slip and slides, 5 beach balls, 2 kiddy pools, ice-cream shaped sidewalk chalk, beach toys, bubble blowing accessories, etc... and we've got ourselves a "Fun in the Sun" party. Come July we'll make a big tub of homemade ice-cream with toppings, and I think we'll come in at $25 or less! Not to mention, some of the items in that pile are stocking stuffers and Easter basket items.

I do so love myself a good deal.
~Katrina

* At the "Dollar General" for those of you who might also have access to the savings!

Pumpkin Pizza

I am a fan of all things pumpkiny in taste... but perhaps pizza is taking it a little too far?? :)

Still if we can't put pumpkin in it, surely we make it into a pumpkin. Our girls thought it was a fun idea for a Friday family night.

Collect a few simple ingredients... pre-made or homemade pizza dough (we used the whole wheat kind from Trader Joes), sauce, pepperoni cut into semi-circles and triangles, and sliced olives.
Oh and, mercy, cheese is missing from this picture. The horror! Of course, you need cheese. Melted until bubbly, delicious cheese.

Sprinkle a little flour on your surface and roll out the dough. Use a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to make your jack-o-lantern outlines. Top with sauce and cheese... then pepperoni eyes and mouths.
Bake for about 15 minutes until dough is firm and cheese melted. Dressing up and peering through the oven door optional.


Enjoy!
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While on the subject of eating, my eldest daughter started pre-school this year. We searched around for a fun and practical lunch system, and I was so glad to stumble upon Easy Lunch Boxes! I love the compartments, the cut down on waste, the fact that it comes with four boxes making it great for family picnics, the BPA freeness, the dishwasher safeness... AWESOME! Makes packing a lunch pretty fun, I must admit. Even end of the month, gotta get to the store leftovers!


~Katrina

Summer Memories

It's been a great summer.

Sure, it's had its challenges but it's also been full of sweetness and times we don't want to forget. Sometimes I am struck by the notion that my three, three and under likely won't remember all the little things we did in these days. But somehow I just know that one experience builds upon another and another. In the end, they all add up to what I hope they will remember as a rich and loving and warm and even imperfectly beautiful childhood.

To help in their reflection, the last two summers we have memorialized some times in small ways. Last summer we took an unused small scrapbook and glued in pictures, ticket stubs, brochures, and the like. Then we wrote simple captions at the bottom of each page so we could "read" the summer's adventures together.



This summer we bought us some dollar frames from Michaels and the girls sponge painted them. I wrote the words "favorite memory" on the frames and then let my kids peruse a bunch of pics on our computer. They picked one of their favorites, we printed the photos out, and then we glued them on some remnant scrapbook paper to put inside the frames.


The girls love looking at the frames in their rooms. Next summer or even next season we can replace the pictures with what each girl is currently loving.

Another way, I hope, for them to remember how much I love making their childhood special.

Happy memory making!
~Katrina

Playing with Our Food

Want to make for a fun lunchtime surprise or mid morning/after school snack time? Search your fridge and your pantry to see what you can come up with!

We recently made "sandwiches" the night before we went on vacation. Open faced PB on whole wheat bread... strawberry raisin eyes, banana noses, string cheese mouths. We were a little bit giddy... ya think? :)

Often I will pull out random ingredients and play around. This day I helped them make cute, little mice to get started.

Then I armed them with extra supplies for more mouse making... graham crackers and PB, mandarin oranges, bananas, raisins, and pretzel sticks.
This evolved into a pretty creative Mama and Baby Elephant from my three year-old and a ladybug from my two year-old.

I still can't figure out where the two year-old got her inspiration??
Best of all is hearing them giggle while shouting, "I ate his nose! His eyes are gone! There went his mouth!"

Yes, there is a new rule in town... DO play with your food, after all!
~Katrina

The Magic of Mother Nature

See that adorable onesie on my sweet little six-week old??? You know it has to be courtesy of our own Whatta Cute Baby! creator herself. It's adorableness just screams it at you, right? :)

Well, wanna know what is NOT adorable? When it gets stained by one of those poop-up-the-back numbers. Nope, not cute at all!

For all those who may not know this sunshiny trick, have I got some glorious news for you! To get out poop stains simply rinse the soiled garment in water and then put it in the sun to dry. Somehow miraculously Mother Nature gets rid of the stain better than any commercial brand stuff ever thought about.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below for your whatta cuteness. I know you'll love the sweet baby line as much as I do!

~Katrina

Red, White, and Blue

These days I'm trying to keep it simple indeed for my two little, but older girls (3 and almost 2) while I have to do lots of newbornish things. That's why in preparation for all the July 4th excitement this weekend, we have two easy but fun (& yummy!) things you could do... probably today since they don't require a lot of ingredients.

We talked a little about our country and one thing we learned was that our colors are you know... red, white, and blue. What better way to imprint this forever in little brains than with marshmallow pops!
Simply insert a popsicle or lollipop sticks into a marshmallow... heat about a 1/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave until soft and able to be stirred... dip the pop in the chocolate and then in some patriotic sprinkles (got ours out of the Target dollar bin!) A messy success...



When they woke up from naps one afternoon they were quite excited to see another red, white, and blue display... sliced strawberries, blueberries, and some whipped cream. They were free to make any kind of "art" they wanted with the supplies. Told you... EASY!

Counting her blueberries

Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend filled with family, friends, sparklers, good food, and all things... red, white, and blue!

~Katrina

Picnic in the Park

I have a winter, summer, and soon-to-be spring babe.

Though throwing parties in the colder months can require a little extra thinking on my part to accommodate everyone, it still can be a lot of fun. Thankfully, though, I love the ease and simplicity of also having a little gal whose party can be taken to the parks and fields.

As we start to prepare for the summer fun, I am reminded of her very first birthday bash... a picnic in the park!

We held it several hours away at my parent's church picnic area, so that meant I needed easy food prep. I bought several packages of hoagie rolls at our local discount bread outlet and froze them so by the time we arrived they were perfect for the sandwiches. Nana picked up yummy meats and cheeses from a local Amish store and we kept them together with olive topped toothpicks. That was the most elaborate of all the food... nice!
We had two coordinating ribbons (on plain jane brown paper sacks) depending on whether the lunch was an adult or kiddie bag. The fillers were apples or raisin boxes bought in bulk from Sams, granola bars bought in bulk from Big Lots, and pretzels or goldfish divided into snack sized baggies to get the most bang for our buck. Pink lemonade pouches and water bottles completed the easy picnic theme! The kids decorated cupcakes for everyone's dessert.
The favors were big, swirly lollipops as well as a few sticks of sidewalk chalk from the Dollar Store and clearanced pinwheels from the Hobby Lobby.
Decorations included lots of paper lanterns and some little daisies in mason jars... really, we kept it pretty easy at that. Oh except for our centerpieces on the picnic bag table... these cute little cupcake stand-thingies Nana found at Tuesday Morning. We printed off pictures of my daughter in the same chair taken each month up until a year. Then we tied them four to a stand... so fun to see how much she had grown!



With sidewalk chalk on the pavement, bubbles in the field, and a park next door-- that was all we needed to ring in a celebration of her very first year.

Somebody pinch me, though, because I can hardly believe we're about to ring in number two!

~Katrina

Outdoor Fun on a Dollar Store Budget

As the weather warms up (though apparently not this week... brrr!), we love finding simple and cheap-o ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Here are a few ideas from our stash that we keep organized on two shelves... one in the garage and one on the back patio. That way we have quick inspiration and easy access.

1. Bubbles... we've been collecting different size blow sticks for a while. Some of our favorites are the big wand sized blowers from the Dollar Store (grab a plastic tub while you're there too for easy dunking), but you can find a whole collection even in your grocery store for about three bucks or less. Once you run out of that commercial liquid, whip up a concoction of mostly Joy and water. For really fun bubbles, add a few drops of food coloring!

2. Sidewalk chalk... you can find this stuff everywhere now for a couple bucks or less. In fact, you can get a whole container at the Dollar Store. If you want to splurge a few more bucks, grab some containers of sidewalk paint too or take tempera paint and water it down for driveway painting.

3. Sand pails... For a $1.50 or less, these little containers can bring hours of fun. From sandboxes to creek hopping, from treasure collecting to rock dumping!

4. Blankets... Whether you're headed out for a picnic, ice-cream, or an afternoon of reading favorites you're ready to go!

5. Squirt bottles... Picked up again from the Dollar Store, these are fun for cooling off on a hot day as the kiddos squirt one another. You can also tape up paper on garage doors or the driveway and fill them up with watered down tempera or driveway paint and let the kids go wild. A little hose action takes care of any clean up.

6. Other favorites... play-doh (go Dollar Store generic or use a coupon to get them cheap from Target, etc.) , big coloring sheets (recently found on major clearance from Kroger), empty notebooks to make into nature journals (more on that one later), watering cans and all manner of cups for transferring water or sand (ranging from a buck at Big Lots to FREE), sprinklers (five bucks or so from Wal-Mart), plastic pools (a big one picked up for 99 cents at the end of last season), and the list could go on!

Any spring and summer favorites that make your stash?
~Katrina

The Gift of Another Ordinary Day

Welcome to all those popping over from Kelly's Korner! As a bit of a change-up, we thought it might be fun to participate in a handful of "Show Us Your Life" Fridays. Even if you don't leave with any crafty ideas or simple tips... maybe it will just be fun to get to know us a little better!

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I tried to pick a "normal" day... a day where we're at home doing our winter thing together, nothing fancy or earth shattering perhaps. Our sacred time together nonetheless.

And so it begins...

7:15 am... I wake-up to the happy sounds of M (1.5 yrs.) jabbering away and playing in her crib. Soon H (3 yrs.) drags her white wicker stool in there to climb into Sissy's bed. For at least half an hour they giggle and play. Ideally I like to be up before the kids, but these days I have a big (and I mean b-i-g) reason why that doesn't always happen when we have no where to be! :) When I start to hear the beginnings of a sisterly spat, it's up and at 'em time. I whisper a prayer for strength and wisdom.

I think M's working her, "What-chu talking 'bout, Willis?"

There are morning hugs all around. We take care of wet bottoms, and I notice M's nose running! Aww, bummer! The healthy streak meets a speed bump. We get dressed in play clothes and head downstairs with great cheers for breakfast. M's in her tennis shoes and "hat" (headband), while H just has to have her bedroom shoes.

8:15 am... I make the quick oatmeal since they are evidently starving. Add raisins and maple syrup since we're out of honey. Need to get a call into the local honey guy. Serve up sippy cups of milk and extra D3 with vitamins on the side... take that, runny nose! Prayers are barely uttered before they start digging in; these girls love breakfast just like their Daddy.
I decide I need a Monday treat, so I whip up a simple frappucino-- light on the coffee and heavy on the milk, just the way I like it. Fix some peanut butter and jelly toast. Grab a handful of raisins. Also need to get some more fresh fruit because I really want a banana. We do our almost always requested daily devotion. There's praying, reading, and singing. A little grumping too... that poor drippy nose!


9:00 am... I wrangle everyone upstairs to brush teeth. M could literally brush hers and splash in the water all day long. Remembering H went through this stage too, except that she couldn't get enough of washing her "hans! hans!"
Mostly unM-like she has a fit when I finally tell her we need to head to the playroom. It's for certain; she's feeling under the weather. H and I quietly go on in to work on ABC's. That girl just loves to learn! Thankfully M soon joins us while needing lots of extra hugs and kisses. I am most happy to oblige.

Afterwards I turn on some music and the girls play while I get in a load of laundry... my one or two loads each day is helping my sanity tremendously! Some sharing over Little People gets out of hand, and we have to review these right then and several other times throughout the morning.
A few consequences are to be had and discussions about making good choices. I need my coffee. Whispering a few more prayers doesn't hurt either.

A bit later, I hear it. The beautiful sounds of playing together, taking turns, learning from bad choices. Everyone gets a marble in the jar. Shouts for joy! We've almost met our first goal.
10:30 am... Snack is served, as usual, in the family room while the girls watch their reading video. Water with a splash of juice and a trail mix concoction of Joe's O's, granola, and raisins hit the spot. I add some peanuts to mine and take a prenatal vitamin. Wash up breakfast dishes and get painting supplies ready.
11:10 am... Messy time! How the girls love that. We're headed to a big aquarium soon, so it's all about ocean life. The girls sponge paint a seal, some eels, and whales. We add them to the kitchen mural and count how many of each creature there are. I look around and paint is everywhere. We clean bodies and tables and walls and floors, but it's worth it. Almost always is.

12:00 pm... Back upstairs we go as I notice I am still in my pajamas. I also realize I've had little water today, so my Camelbak gets a fill up while I'm at it. Gate the girls in the playroom with the happy sounds of more music. I fold some laundry in our bedroom and put the wet load into dry. Someone (cough... H!) lets the gate down and I hear M in the bathroom; I catch her just before her baby goes to the potty in the real potty where I also notice H forgot to flush last. Send H back to the bathroom to finish business and wrangle the babes down the stairs again and into the car. So proud of our big, potty trained girl-- getting there was no walk in the park!

I forgot my chicken yesterday at Publix, which put a real kink in the gyros I was craving. Notice in the car that I'm getting pretty nauseated. At 27-weeks this doesn't happen too often, but when it does it's truly yuck. Tell them one requested story after another and sing a little before feeling totally green. Get sick in the parking lot once we arrive and then feel lots better. We pick up our chicken along with some yogurt and other essentials for our upcoming trip. The girls go wild with a free sugar cookie from the bakery.

1:40 pm... Get back home later than I had hoped. I have to work to keep M awake in the car. A quick lunch is in order so doctored up green smoothies and pepperoni-cheese crackers are on the menu. Hope gets hers after a time-out for behavior on the way home, and she is happy to come back to the table. Even asks if I'll forgive her for the way she spoke. Sweet girl.

H gets to pick a 30-minute video to transition to rest time, while I spend that time reading and doing flashcards with M. Put M down for a nap, thankful for the cuddle bug she still is, and then work with H before she has rest time. I really enjoy these one-on-one opportunities during the day.

The nauseated feeling is back again. Ick! I load up in my bed with some water and a granola bar. Catch up on a few e-mails and bills, write to growing Baby Girl in her journal, read for our Tuesday parenting class, and have a quiet time. This really helps me feel better, even if H has to be redirected to her bedroom a couple of times in the process. That girl can come up with some creative stuff, I tell you, as she doesn't want to miss a thing! But she's getting better, and only occassionally worse, all the time. :)
4:00 pm... MIRACLE! Both girls are still sleeping soundly, so I head out to the mailbox where I find a letter from my mother-in-law. She is so gifted at old fashioned correspondence. I barely make it back in the house before pouring over her words about how healthy avocados are and encouragement about having the three kiddos so close together. I set out some carrots and popcorn for our snack, unload the dishwasher, and try to return some much needed phone calls. I have turned into a horrible phone person these days, and I need to work on it.

It's confirmed again. The girls are plain old pooped! They never sleep this long, and I'm especially grateful they are able to get the rest they need. I go ahead and prep dinner while trying to use up all our fresh stuff before we travel. Bake some tilapia with a little butter, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and Italian parsley. Saute mushrooms, make a small pasta salad with pesto and tomatoes, and heat up leftover sweet potato. Am I the only one who feels so blessed to have groceries?

5:30 pm... Finally M is stirring! We actually have to wake up H, which M loves to do, and both girls are excited to eat. We go ahead with dinner. We hate to eat without Daddy, but sometimes we just have to. He works so hard just so we can have days like this.

It warms my heart when I see the girls hold hands for our blessing. Sometimes they even burst into spontaneous song. Sometimes, oh sometimes, they do not.

This night they did.

My cup overflows.

That extended rest was a God-send... they are angels! We laugh and talk; no whining to be found, and I love when I don't feel so frazzled at this point in the evening. The phone rings and Daddy says he'll be home soon. We clean up dinner dishes, sweep the floor for no less than the twenty-fifth time that day, and wash up ourselves. The girls get in monkey PJ's and brush and floss their teeth. Humidifiers are filled, favorite blankies and babies and books are found, and water bottles are placed by bedsides.

7:00 pm... Every one's favorite-- Daddy's home! We pick up the playroom, and I leave them with hugs and kisses to play and wrestle until bedtime. I head to our nearby Super Target to help with an impromptu shower planning meeting (for a family foster-adopting FOUR beautiful kiddos!) and to pick up some saline drops for that sad, little nose.

On the way home it's official, I'm feeling really pregnant. Some might even say waddling. I hope they don't.
9:15 pm... When I walk in the door, both kiddos are in bed reading more stories to themselves after such late naps. Daddy says they were great with their nightly ritual of bedtime reading and prayers. H gets out of bed to give Daddy "one more hug and kiss" and then sees me so we both get showered. I am most happy to oblige.

All in a day's play. All in a day's work.

All in the gift of another ordinary day given to us to live!
~Katrina