Last minute Father's Day present!

This week was a rough one in Kelly land. On Sunday we were driving over to my parents for the day and I suddenly felt this weird and uncomfortable pain radiating up my side and back. I knew something wasn’t right and as we got closer, the pain got worse. I hobbled inside and collapsed on the floor. After a nice day spent in the ER, I was sent home with the news I was gearing up to pass a kidney stone and some pain meds. Let me just say I would not wish the pain the next 24 hours brought on my worst enemy. Luckily by Tuesday the worst was over and I started feeling human again. The only plus side to this madness is that I got to read almost half a book (The Fault in Our Stars). It has not passed yet but at least there is only slight discomfort and I can stand up straight.

In all the madness, I did manage to cram in a Father’s Day craft. I actually started it last week, thankfully, because it ended up raining most of this week and we barely made it outside. It’s simple and cheap and sure to be a big hit!

Oohh check out those chevron jars! 

All you need is sidewalk chalk, a frame (I found mine at Walmart for under a buck), a white paint pen or Sharpie, and some willing and photogenic kids! First I drew a ladder up to the moon and stars. I had each kid lay on the ladder, pretending to climb. This was obviously the hardest part, as what kid under 2 wants to lay still with the sun shining in his or her eyes? Not these two. The outtakes are almost as great as the final product. I found two I liked and changed them to black and white and printed them out. Using the paint pen, I wrote “I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK”, inserted the picture, and VOILA! Easy, adorable, and cheap!

Hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, and Happy Father’s Day weekend!!

Summer Activities and Upcycled Jar Project #2!

Summer is officially here! Time to break out the baby pool, lather on the sunscreen, and sweat your buns off while coming up with new and exciting ways to entertain your kids! 

We have been trying to get outside in the morning when it’s cooler and the patio is shaded for some bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and sensory time. The afternoons have been pretty hot and once they start to get sweaty, they also tend to get a little cranky. The easiest way to get them inside at that point is straight bribery with popsicles and ‘special treats’. I have been pinning new and fun craft ideas and this weekend I need to sit down and put together some ideas for the upcoming weeks (and also plan Lily’s 2^nd birthday…eek)!

I found a recipe for cloud dough and decided to give it a whirl this week. The recipe calls for 8 cups of flour for every cup of (baby) oil. Simple, easy and fairly cheap. I opted to use baby oil because it smells better than cooking oil and makes our hands soft. I made a big production out of mixing the flour and oil together and the kids had a blast stirring and stirring and stirring. Then I separated the dough into two Tupperware containers, gave the kids some small spoons, shovels, and other little cups to scoop the dough into and let them go wild. They were very cautious on day one. They barely got any on their hands, while I was wrist deep trying to mold shapes. It doesn’t leave as big of a mess as you would imagine and you can simply dust it off. The second day of playing with it, Lily used her hands a little more but Tristan stuck to utensils only. It was a fun and new sensory activity that I am sure I will be using a lot of this summer. I want to invest in a small sand table and possibly fill it with cloud dough for a period of time. Gotta add that to Lily’s birthday list!

I recently posted one way to upcycle pickle and salsa jars, and I came up with another fun idea. I have been saving the lids to the food pouches (or squeezes as we call them) for quite some time because once a preschool teacher garbage hoarder, always a preschool teacher garbage hoarder! I finally decided to use some to make a sorting game for the kids to play with and practice matching, colors, and fine motor. I took the labels off as best as I could and then covered the outside of the jar with construction paper. We are in week two of our colors and just learned orange so I opted for an orange jar, a red jar (last week’s color), and a green jar (I have A LOT of green lids). I took a picture of a group of each color lid and taped that to the label as well. We started by just identifying the color of the orange jar and all the orange lids inside and practiced putting the lids into the jar. Then I introduced the red and green jars and dumped the lids into the pile. I showed them the objective of the ‘game’ and tried to block off the jar when they put in the wrong color. That cracked them up and caused them to start throwing the lids everywhere. Yikes. After we calmed down and regrouped, I dumped the jars again and just watched them play. It’ll be interesting to see them learn how to sort and match over the course of the summer. And once we eat some more pickles and/or salsa, I’ll introduce another color!

Happy Summer!!

Upcycled Jar Project #1

This project was full of trial and error, as some most Pinterest ideas are. When I originally started this project, I was going to paint a label on each jar and decorate it to my liking. The paint I was using wasn’t quite coming out the way I wanted so I scratched that idea (figuratively and literally) and started fresh. I found gray chevron wrapping paper I saved from a gift someone gave Lily and cut a piece the size of the label.  I used Modge Podge in a glossy finish and adhered the paper to the jar. That didn’t quite satisfy my eye either. I decided to try gluing the paper inside the jar for a cleaner finish.

Supplies:

-Glass jars (mason, pickle, salsa, etc)
-Candlestick holders (mine are from the Dollar Tree)

-Wrapping paper (or any type of scrap paper you have)

-Modge Podge (I used Glossy Finish)

-Hot Glue Gun

-Paint brush

First, I washed the jars in the dishwasher to rid them of their pickle and salsa smells. I then soaked each jar in a bucket of water to make the label peel off easier. I know there must be a trick, but I simply used my exacto knife to scrape away all of the remaining label. It was almost therapeutic.

I then cut my paper to the size and fit I wanted. I spread some Modge Podge along the inside of the jar and positioned my paper over it. This step was by far the trickiest and most frustrating. If you use too much glue, it bubbles or pools at the edges. It’s also a tiny space to work with so my hands were cramping and covered in glue. I smoothed out the glue to the best of my ability then let it dry. The finish look still has some bubbles, but overall I am satisfied with this finish the most. 

The last step is to hot glue the jar to your candlestick holder and VOILA! A cute jar for whatever you heart desires. If we had more counter space in our bathroom, I’d probably throw in some q-tips or my eyeliner and mascara. For now, I think I am going to put some fake flowers in them and add them to one of Lily’s shelves in her room. I would love to redo her room with grays and pinks so these jars might end up in there as an inspiration for me.

Happy Crafting!

Mother's Day Projects

A few weeks ago, I downloaded the A.C. Moore app for my phone and was rewarded with a 55% off coupon. The possibilities were endless. I chose a pack of 7 canvasses to use for projects with the kids. I figured once the weather warmed up and we were able to play outside in our patio cage, I could throw some smocks on them, bring out paint and let them go wild! I decided to use a few for Mother’s Day presents from Tristan and Lily. I am quite pleased with the results, and they could not have been simpler to make!

The first one was a trial run with this technique. Using blue painter’s tape, I taped off some lyrics from the Old Crow Medicine Show song “Wagon Wheel”. I used masking tape first, but it kept falling off the canvas and I knew once Lily started painting on it, all my hard work would be lost. (You could also use precut letter stickers, but where’s the fun in that)? I broke out the water colors and let her use whatever color she wanted and she created quite the masterpiece! After it was all dry, I removed the tape and traced the outline of each letter with a black Sharpie to make it pop. I love how it turned out!

For our second canvas pieces, we used water colors again, but this time I only let them use blue to make a sky background. Once those were nice and dry, I painted an arc in yellow in the bottom left hand corner for the sun. Then I painted their chubby little feet yellow and we stamped them on the canvas to make the rays. Using a Sharpie once again, I wrote out “You are my sunshine” and dated the project. I can’t wait to hang these new art pieces up and brighten up our room! 

It's not a diet, it's a seven day challenge..

I saw a seven day diet challenge on the internet and I thought, why not? This could either kick start some healthier living, or after seven days, I’ll binge eat like a mofo. I asked Jordan to join me on this weeklong journey just to see if he could do it as well. I decided that if I posted this challenge to the internet, I’d have to be accountable for what I ate.

THE RULES

NO soda

NO bread

NO red meat

NO alcohol

NO pasta

NO sweets

Citrus fruit daily

6 bottles of water/day

Green veggies

Fish/Chicken daily

30 minute workout

Day One

Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with hot sauce (hey, I didn’t put in cheese so that’s a plus)!

Snack: 5 baby carrots (raw) with Tribe original hummus

Lunch: Lunch meat turkey and cheese and 1 ½ clemintines

Dinner: Chicken and quionoa stir fry with lentils, snap peas, and teriyaki sauce

I started using the MyFitnessPal app on and off from before Lily was born and then again after, when I was trying to lose weight. From my highest high (not including pregnancy), I have lost about 30 pounds. I fluctuate in a 5-7lb spread weekly, but have managed to keep myself in check by recording what I eat each day. Don’t get me wrong, there are days I am double the calories I am supposed to be eating, and I don’t ever record alcohol or even non-water drinks. But it has worked to keep me on track for the most part. Now that summer is approaching, and it might be the last one I’ll ever want to wear a two piece for (I say that every year), I would like to get my weight down to under the 5-7 swing mark and aim to lose and keep off about 10-15 more pounds before our vacation in July. I try to take the kids for a walk each day, weather depending, and pushing the two of them uphill in the double stroller can make for quite the workout. The hardest part for me will be giving up sweets. And of course, bread. I don’t eat ¼ of as much bread now living here, but growing up we had fresh bread at every meal. Which I put butter on and dipper in ketchup. Crap. I gotta talk myself down from making THAT as my snack today. 

Well, wish us luck! If nothing else, it'll be a cleanse of sorts!

Biters Anonymous

I have to say that I get my patience from my mom, and I do have a lot more of it than most people. I am also human, and I do grind my teeth, clench my jaw, and growl on occasion, but as far as running around after two kids under 2 all day, every day, I’m pretty confident in saying I have more patience than most. Or at least I have more than Jordan! I like to compare my patience to a glass of fine wine. Monday is like the day you purchased said bottle. It’s full, still corked, and you almost don’t want to open it. By Wednesday, the bottle is half gone and so are your pants. By Friday at lunch, the bottle is bone dry and you’re digging through cabinets contemplating drinking cooking wine.\

    That being said, it is nap time on Friday. And we’ve had two ‘munches’ so far today, and a few more than I’d like to count this week. I am very glad it is Friday, and this weekend I need to really sit down and make actual lesson plans for next week. When we stay on a semi-strict schedule, I feel they do better and are less antsy. I started reading up on biting and how to stop it, and this basically sums up the situations I have observed when Tristan bites. He’s not doing it at all times because he is frustrated, but it is his way of saying “I can’t tell you how I feel right now, so I’m just gonna nibble.

•   They're frustrated. Biting, like hitting, is a way for some children to assert themselves when they're still too young to express feelings effectively through words. To your child, biting is a way to get back a favorite toy, tell you that he or she is unhappy, or let another child know that he or she wants to be left alone. –WebMd

So how do we teach young children to express themselves better? There are only so many times you can say the phrases “Use your words” or “We don’t bite” before you just sound like a broken record, especially if the child is still biting. I have been keeping teething rings rotating in the fridge and I use redirection on a daily (if not hourly, minutely) basis for both children. I know that biting is a combination of not being able to express himself and teething and having to share everything with Lily, but I am just not sure how to stop it effectively. It is also hard since Tristan is not my child. I am not sure what I would do if the shoe was on the other foot, but T doesn’t bite at home (because he’s alone with Mom and Dad) which means I have no previously set punishment to use. I have been trying to use the pack and play as a time out zone (mainly because he can’t leave that spot while I get ice and take care of the victim). But the P&P is right near the window so he just looks out and laughs. I thought about using the high chair but if he’s angry and put in there, he can twist and throw himself around and essentially get out. I could bring down the Bumbo chair and squeeze him into that, but I don’t want to squish him. I need to sit down first with Ash and RJ and see what they think the punishment/plan of action should be and go from there. Ash was a biter as a kid, so I am hoping this is just a phase until his teeth come in.

While they are resting...

I have been majorly slacking on this whole blogging thing. Even when it is on my weekly to-do list, it seems to get put on the back burner. Last week the Georgia Peaches were up for the week for their spring break so we were a little busy playing with the girls. We did the aquarium, a walk to get ice cream, and the moms even got at home massages! It was a fun week, but I got way off track.

This week I have tried to keep up with my basic daily chores, but I also decided I am over cold weather and my dark sweaters, so I pulled out my spring pastel pants to try on. That led to a severe drop in the temperature midweek. Thanks mother nature. None of my pants from last year fit, but for the first time in a long time of switching clothes, they are all too big! The only downfall is that I am broke so new clothes are going to have to wait! I am really trying to buy a few staple pieces that I can mix and match through spring so it appears that I have more clothes than I do. My shorts also all fit nicely or are way too big, and I am very pleased at that! My room is now a mix of unwanted clothes and shoes in boxes, craft projects I am half done, Easter basket madness, and the ever present clutter that just won't go away!

Today the kids were quite cranky. Lily woke up early because it was cold in her room and her feet were like ice blocks. After being awake for about an hour, she informed me she was tired and around 9:30 Tristan looked like he was ready for a nap, but I made them wait it out until 11. I know early naptime means longer afternoon, and I knew I did not have the patience for that today. We did our exercises about 4 times, walked around the house, ate a snack, and did a little Easter footprint project all to keep us awake. After nap and lunch we even took a quick brisk walk because, to put it bluntly, they were driving me insane.

Lily is at the stage where she does not want to share her toys, or her mom, 24/7. And Tristan’s in a phase of teething/biting whatever is in his way. I take many deep breaths throughout the day, and we do a lot of redirecting. My next post will be of our new schedule and our daily routine...hopefully to be up during the weekend. I've been using my old daily sheets from the daycare to make my own schedule and lessons. It makes me feel like there is more structure, and it makes those long stretches of mornings and afternoons go by a little faster!

Hope everyone has a fun and happy Easter!