Katydid and Kid

Seedlings

2010-03-17T08:15:00.005-04:00

My little seedling was helping me plant some seedlings the other night. Like most kids, he loves playing in dirt so I knew he'd like to help me start some of our vegetable and flower seedlings.
It took him quite a while to fill up his two little pots, but he was so careful about scooping the dirt into them.We planted cucumber seeds in the pots he filled, along with zinnias, 2 varieties of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and some herbs. I'm not counting on them all coming up, but for a few dollars, it's worth the chance.
I'm most interested in watching the seedlings grow along with Sojo, and getting him excited about gardening from early on. It's worth the twice-daily shuffling of the seeds inside and outside to take advantage of the best sunlight.
He also helped yesterday with planting our lettuce and spinach seeds, though he kept creeping over there to dig some more in the dirt. Hopefully I can keep him from pulling up the seedlings when they start to sprout.

So what's going in your garden this year?

Constructive Eating Kids' Tableware

2010-03-17T07:43:00.001-04:00

Getting a toddler to eat can be a daunting task, not just because they're often picky eaters, but because they have trouble navigating their utensils and food. My son still has difficulty scooping up food on his plate, even though he'll be 2 very soon.

Constructive Eating has helped with that. They sent us a set of Constructive Eating Utensil Set ($19.95) and plate ($14.95), which not only makes meal time more fun, but makes it easy for kids to scoop up their food.
The set of construction vehicle utensils is quite charming and sturdy, but able for toddlers to hold easily.
To be honest, I was wary about this set, because from the moment I opened it (seconds before serving dinner, stupidly), my son was over-the-top excited to use these. Uh, oh, I thought, assuming he'd be more interested in playing with the trucks than eating. Surprisingly, he actually used these to eat every noodle off of his plate.

(that's his new "cheese!" face for photos)

The "pusher" truck helps to deliver (haha) food onto the spoon, which makes it easier for my son to scoop up his food. The fork is easy to hold too, and is a perfect size for his hands.

We were also sent the Constructive Eating plate to try out too, which is a bright orange "construction" color. There are divided sections on the plate which keep food separated for pickier eaters, and spots on the plate to "park" your utensils. It grips onto the table nicely too, which makes it easier to eat off of. And all of Constructive Eating's products contain NO Lead, NO Bisplenol A (BPA), NO PVC, and NO Phthalates, so parents don't have to worry about what else other than food is going into their kids' mouths.

Oh, and there's a special pink set too, for girls who'd prefer a pink truck to a yellow one.
Overall, we love this plate and utensils and how it makes an ordinary meal into something extraordinary.
Disclosure: I received a sample plate and utensil set from Constructive Eating for review purposes.

Tech Tuesday: Setting up a Facebook Fan Page

2010-03-16T12:38:00.009-04:00

You may have noticed that I recently made a Katydid and Kid fan page (become a fan!) and it's been fun linking my blog posts to Facebook. I wanted to make a fan page rather than post my blog posts on my personal Facebook page, because I still have real friends (verses what Mr. Geek calls "vrends" or virtual friends) and relatives who don't really want my latest review posts clogging up their news feeds.
It was pretty simple to set up, and I'm still adding more applications and features as I learn more about it. To get started, either log in to your current Facebook account (or create one if you don't have one already) then click this link. The page will look like this:
You'll need to choose what type of page it will be. I selected the Artist, Band or Public Figure tab and chose "writer". Then I typed in the name of my page and made sure the box was unchecked, about allow the page to be publicly viewed.

There you have it, your own fan page. You'll want to add an image, like your blog button or something too, and of course add your website in the profile. Once you get more than 25 fans, you can get a "vanity" url, like mine which is "http://www.facebook.com/katydidandkid" rather than "www.facebook/q8129379879i23" or something like that. To get that, simply click this link and follow the instructions once you get more than 25 fans.

Some other things you might want to add right away are a fan badge for your blog (follow the simple instructions there),
and automatically having your blog posts published to your Facebook fan page. To do that, I set up an application with Networked Blogs and then under the page settings tab for the Katydid and Kid fan page, I linked my blog posts with the page.I'm sorry I didn't make notes as I was doing this, but from what I remember it was really easy to connect your blog to your page. If you get stuck, email me and I'll see if I can help. The one thing I do remember doing was making sure I didn't connect the blog posts to my personal profile, just so I wasn't double posting and so that my real friends didn't have to see my posts unless they became a fan of my blog.

So there you have it. Quite a chunk of info on Facebook fan pages. Good luck, and consider becoming a Facebook fan of Katydid and Kid!

My Crowning Achievement

2010-03-15T08:16:00.007-04:00

My weekend project--made during naps and even on a long car ride to visit Sojo's cousin's house yesterday.
I've been wanting to make him a birthday crown for a while now, having not gotten around to sewing one for his first birthday last year. But I did it! And I love how it turned out.
I had an old wool sweater that I had knitted and felted, naively for a baby (this was pre-Sojo), thinking at the time that it would actually fit over a baby's head. Defeated yet hopeful it could be used for something else like a teddy bear, I was stashed it away to be repurposed one day.

I cut the bottom of the sweater into a crown, which was actually a perfect fit for Sojo's head and didn't even require a seam (the sweater was knitted in the round).
For the "S" panel on the front, I cut out a circle from a piece of scrap felt that I had made
and needle felted a red "S" onto it.
For instructions on needle felting, see my posts here or here. For wet felting (like the scrap piece above), check out my tutorial here.

I then needle felted colorful circles around the crown
Finally, I wet felted little balls to sew onto the tips of the crown.
I love how jester-ish it is, and I hope that Sojo will look forward to wearing this on birthdays to come.

On a related note, I finally finished the Ministry Shawl.
I'm pleased with the result, but I should have budgeted my yarn better. I made the shawl too wide, and therefore it's a tad too short (I should have made a longer, narrower shawl). I added fringe along the edges to make up for it, and I like that it brings more pastel color into what could be a funeral-esque shawl.
I'm off to drop it off today, so hopefully the recipient like it. What have you been creating lately? Inquiring minds want to know (and would love to see links!).

Glitterful Felt Stories {Giveaway}

2010-03-15T07:47:00.002-04:00

I'm happy to be featuring Glitterful Felt Stories again here at Katydid and Kid. I've gotten to know Shelby, Glitterful's owner and mom of 3, and I think that her felt play sets are perfect for taking on the go. Glitterful Felt Stories was my BlogHer conference sponsor last year, and it was nice promoting her felt stories.

Glitterful Felts has introduced a new patented travel felt roll ($10), which is perfect for on-the-go.
We have a travel felt roll along with a few stories, including perennial fave, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ($10),
which are great to take along in the car. They're mess-free, lightweight and can be entertaining for your little ones, especially if you have one of the sets based on one of their favorite stories. Plus they don't make any noise!
Glitterful Felt Stories would love for you to check out their website, and are kindly offering 1 K&K reader

A Travel Felt Roll and Story of your Choice!

To Enter
Visit Glitterful Felt Stories and comment here about the item you like best or what you'd choose if you won.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Become a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Add my "Kid on the Go" button to your blog
Follow @GlitterfulFelt on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win a travel felt story roll and story of your choice from @GlitterfulFelt http://goo.gl/fb/Pdb0 @katydidandkid #giveaway

US Postal addresses only.

You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Sunday March 28th at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this giveaway or review, but have received other felt items in the past.

Weekend Contest Love (3/13)

2010-03-13T09:01:00.004-05:00

This weekend, I'll be trying my hardest to stay off the computer and get some stuff ready for Sojo's upcoming birthday party. I have favors to sew (yes, sew! I'm nuts) and I want to felt a birthday crown for him. Plus I've been spending too much of my limited free time online lately and need to refocus myself.

Anyway, hope your weekend is relaxing and that you'll link up any contests you might be hosting in the linky below.

Artist Canvas Prints from UPrinting.com {Giveaway}

2010-03-13T08:48:00.008-05:00

When looking through the digital photos of my son from the past year, there are so many that I'd love to enlarge to make into posters or prints. Thankfully, UPrinting.com makes this so easy and affordable. I've ordered a handful of posters from them with great results, and have recommended them to friends and family who have also been pleased with what they've ordered. UPrinting.com makes it easy to print online.

This is the first time I'm hosting a promo for their canvas prints, which come rolled up and can be hung on a wall. I think this will be a nice variation on the framed posters and prints we have hanging in our home. I'm thinking I'd like to get this recent photo turned into a canvas prints:
It would be great in our living room. I have a grommet punch that I'd probably use to make some holes for hanging along the top, but you could also put this in a frame or stretch it over a box frame and staple the back (like an artists' canvas).

UPrinting.com is generously offering 1 K&K reader

A 16x20" Rolled Canvas Print!

with free UPS ground shipping (US only)

To Enter
Visit UPrinting.com and leave a comment about your favorite product and what you'd like to make a print of if you won.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Become a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Follow @katydidandkid on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win an Artist Canvas Rolled Print from @UPrinting http://goo.gl/fb/czWB @katydidandkid

US Postal addresses only. Must be 18 or older to enter.

You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Wednesday March 24th at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I will be receiving a Rolled Canvas Print from UPrinting.com for participating in this promotion.

Hometown Seeds Survival Seeds {Giveaway}

2010-03-12T08:09:00.009-05:00

Gardening season is quickly approaching, and this year we're going to cut up an area of our already tiny lawn and grow more veggies. My dream is to one day live out in the country where I can have a large garden and grow enough food to live off of (a la Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle) but until that time, I'll be happy if my tomatoes don't get blight this year.

This week I'll be starting some seeds indoors, and Hometown Seeds sent me a wonderful survival seeds package, which I think is a fabulous idea. Included in the kit are 16 non-hybrid, easy-to-grow seeds like peas, corn, tomatoes, radishes and more.
The intent behind the survival seeds is that they can be used for Long Term Food Storage long-term (5 years) and used in a crisis where food shortages might occur. But I intend to use them to supplement our food supply this year, especially since our CSA went out of business this year.

Hometown Seeds has plenty of other veggie, herb and flower seeds at reasonable prices. It's nearly time here in the Northeast to plant my lettuce seeds, so you might want to place your seed order soon!
The survival seeds package is the top seller at Hometown Seeds, and they're generously offering one K&K reader

A Survival Seeds Package! ($39.99)

To Enter
Visit Hometown Seeds and leave a comment about your favorite product or something you liked or learned.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Become a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Follow @katydidandkid on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win a package of survival seeds ($39.99) from Hometown Seeds http://goo.gl/fb/el3U @katydidandkid #giveaway

US Postal addresses only.

You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Tuesday March 23rd at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I received a package of survival seeds from Hometown Seeds for review purposes.

Zen Class Nirvana Travel Organizer {Giveaway}

2010-03-10T13:34:00.007-05:00

To kick off the Kid-on-the-Go event, I wanted to share a product that has been a great help to a mama like me--The Zen Class Nirvana Seat Back Organizer and Travel Tote. To be honest, I was first drawn to the item because of its name (I'm a Buddhist), but while searching for travel organizers that help make flying easier for both adults and adults-with-kids, I stumbled upon Zen Class Travel Gear.

I've been using the Nirvana tote for over a week now, mostly as a diaper bag and for traveling in the car (both sets of grandparents live an hour away from us). I love how compact the Nirvana tote is, and how much fits inside it.
It holds some diapers, wipes, a water bottle, and it has quite a few pockets for other stuff. There are pockets for your passport, tickets, credit cards, and jsut about anything you can think of.
The slim profile is nice, compared to the bulkiness of most diaper bags, and since we have a toddler, we don't need to bring as much stuff with us like when S was an infant.
The best part of the Nirvana tote is that it unzips completely and can be secured over the back of an airplane tray or even on the back of a stroller.
I think it will really come in handy during our upcoming flight to Florida, especially for corraling toys and drinks.

Zen Class is generously offering 1 K&K reader

A Nirvana Seatback Travel Organizer Tote
(in microfiber black or brown)

To Enter
Visit Zen Class and leave a comment here about your favorite item and what feature you like most about the Nirvana travel organizer.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Become a Fan of Zen Class Travel Gear on Facebook
Become a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Add my "Kid on the Go" button to your blog
Follow @ZenClass on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win a Nirvana Travel organizer (perfect for car or airplane travel) from @ZenClass http://tinyurl.com/ydxobjv @katydidandkid #giveaway

US Postal addresses only.

You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Sunday March 21st at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I received a Nirvana travel organizer from Zen Class for review purposes.

Wordful Wednesday: Ice and Sand

2010-03-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

O blessed Spring! There's nothing like a few warm, 50 degree days to lift the spirits, especially after being housebound in Pennsylvania for what seems like months (oh yeah, I guess it has been months).
Mr. Geek took a day off to enjoy the sunshine and we headed to a local lake to take in the fresh air and Vitamin D.
This park has a nice sandy beach that we've visiting in summer, though I love its solitude in the off-season. The contrast of ice still lingering on the lake and the blue sky and sparkly water was gorgeous.
It reminds me of the painting Monk by the Sea by Caspar David Friedrich. After Sojo walked into the water with his shoes on, we decided to just let him go barefoot and squish his toes in the sand.
Here's to warmer days to come!

For more Wordful Wednesday, say "hi" to Angie over at

Kid-on-the-Go Travel Event at Katydid and Kid

2010-03-09T13:31:00.009-05:00

With our upcoming trip to Disney World in May, I decided to do a little travel event here this spring at Katydid and Kid, focusing on kids on-the-go and ideas and things that can help parents when traveling with kids. Though I'm new at this (definitely not an uber-traveler like Mom Most Traveled) there are a lot of tips and options to help you travel with your little ones, even if it's just a long car ride to grandma's house.

I hope there's something interesting for all of you with this event. Of course I had to make a cute little button (which I think is often the impetus for these events) Grab one if you'd like for extra entries in the giveaways and to help me promote it, if you'd be so inclined. Stay tuned!

Healthy Cookies? Well, Sort Of

2010-03-09T12:54:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I get on a baking kick where all of a sudden after days of placating my salt tooth, I'll want something doughy and sweet. It started yesterday, right before dinner-making time, when I put something into the pantry and needed to move our carton of grain cereal out of the way. That's when I spotted the recipe on the back: 5 grain cookies!
They can't be too bad for you, right? Other than the sugar and butter, I suppose they're ok.

5 Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Old Wessex Ltd.)
2 cups Old Wessex 5 Grain cereal (or oatmeal)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar (or 1 cup of honey)
3/4 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup flax seed or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat cookie sheets with a spritz of oil. Combine dry ingredients, mixing well. In another bowl, cream butter with sugar or honey until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla, then blend in dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and nuts or flax seed. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned. Cool, and try not to eat too many at once. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies (and requires lots of will-power not to eat them all).

Tech Tuesday: To Full-Feed or Not to Full-Feed

2010-03-09T08:02:00.004-05:00

If you subscribe to my blog, you may have noticed that I decided to publish full feeds again, rather than just a teaser. I tend to read a lot of blogs through email subscriptions and I thought that I'd change my feed so people can read my blog via subscription.
The reason I had gone to the shortened version (usually the first 200 words of a post) is that I was concerned about all of my photos taking a while to load in a reader or email. I've never personally experienced it while reading other feeds, but I have a feeling that if the photos take a while to load in the feed, that they are probably the same way on my blog, for people with slower internet connections.

One might balk at this, thinking that I'm missing out on readers clicking over to my blog to read the rest of the post, therefore getting more blog traffic and more statistical page views, but frankly, I just don't care. I'm happy just to have people reading the drivel that I write, and if this somehow affects reviews and giveaways, so be it. While I like doing PR stuff, it's not my main purpose of this blog (though sometimes it seems to take over).

So how did I change my feed settings? I use Feedburner, so I logged into my account.

Then I clicked on the "Optimize" tab and clicked the last link on the left-hand sidebar that says "Summary Burner" (circled in red below).
If your feed is in summary mode, there will be a little check mark next to this on the left.

Next, you'll see the summary area. Just click the button that says "deactivate" and you'll be good to go. However, if you'd like to do a summary feed, you can activate it and also change how many words are shown in the summary and have a personal message--which are circled in green below.
That's it. If you use Feedblitz or another feed source, I'm sure it's just as easy to make these changes.

So what's your opinion about feed summaries? Like it or hate it?

Cooking with POM Wonderful

2010-03-08T13:04:00.009-05:00

I've seen those cute little bottles in the juice section of our supermarket, the POM Wonderful bottles, and though I've tasted pomegranate juice before, I didn't really consider cooking with it. POM Wonderful, the leading seller of pomegranate juice and pomegranate juice blends, sent me some bottles to try out.
POM Wonderful pomegranate juice tastes tart like cranberry juice, which I enjoy. I liked adding the juice to iced tea, to add some tarty sweetness to my normally unsweetened green tea. The POM Wonderful website has so many recipes on it that use both pomegranates and their juices. I decided to whip up a dessert of fruit salad with Cream Cheese Pomegranate Fruit Dip.

I started with a brick of lowfat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and a bottle of POM Wonderful.
I creamed the softened cream cheese with the sugar, mixing out all the lumps. Then I added about 1/2 cup of the pomegranate juice.
I whisked it in until the mixture was a thin sauce.
Finally, I added it to the tropical fruit salad that I made earlier in the day. It was so good!
I wish I had had a pomegranate on hand, as the seeds would have been a nice accompaniment to the sauce.

I plan on making some more things with the juice, like a glaze or sauce for a savory dish. It's a nice change to our regular food repertoire around our house.
Disclosure: I received samples of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice for review purposes.

We Saw Elmo.

2010-03-07T09:17:00.009-05:00

Like most 2 year-olds, Sojo likes Elmo. I don't know what it is about that red furry thing that appeals to kids, but when we were offered free tickets to see Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb at the Susquehanna Bank Theater in Camden, NJ, we thought it would be a nice way to spend a Saturday evening.
And it was!...despite the horrific Philly traffic, both in and out of the venue--which ended up making us late, but oh well.
Sojo was a little shell-shocked, with seeing his favorite puppets live on stage, but we think he had a good time. He wasn't one of those kids singing or dancing in the aisles, but that's not the way he is (after all, he was birthed by introverted ol' me) He was extremely well-behaved and uncharacteristically quiet.
The theme was nature and garden-related, which appealed to me. The story involved finding a perfect spot to plant a flower that Elmo grew from seed and in the process, Abby ends up interfering and causing some problems. I won't spoil it for any of you who might be going to see this.
Even Oscar the Grouch made an appearance.My favorite part was when they sang the Ladybug picnic, which is a old-Skool Sesame song I still sing to this day.
My only complaint was that there weren't enough recognizable songs. When you go to a concert, you hope to hear songs that you love and are familiar with. There were a few but I think that kids would have appreciated hearing some of the songs that are performed on Sesame Street.
I think the funniest part for Mr. Geek and I was when they brought out huge bunches of Elmo balloons at intermission, then asked people to put the balloons under their seats during the show. Yeah, try doing that with kids.
We didn't buy one, but we also were snickering while watching errant ones float up to the ceiling. Might as well just fashion a paper airplane out of a 10 dollar bill and send it off into the air.
We had a great time, and it was a good "dress rehearsal" for our trip to Disney World this May. I wondered how Sojo would be in a dark theater, since he's a pretty sensitive kid, but now I know that he should be fine, especially after sitting through an hour and a half performance.

Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb is currently touring the country. If you have a chance to take your little Sesame fans, definitely look into it--I'm sure they'll enjoy it. And here's a special offer: A 4-pack of tickets for only $48! Or receive $3 off tickets by logging on to www.livenation.com and entering the coupon code "Ernie".
Disclosure: Thanks to VEE Corporation and Comcast -Spectacor for providing free tickets to our family.

Weekend Contest Love (3/6)

2010-03-05T22:03:00.003-05:00

This weekend we're taking Sojo to see Sesame Street Live in Philadelphia--which will either be the time of his little life or one of those bright ideas that I end up regretting. He likes Elmo so I'm hoping he'll be excited to see him on stage. I'll be posting about it later in the week, good or bad. Until then, link up your giveaways below and have a great weekend!

Friday Feast: Yet Another Soup

2010-03-05T11:37:00.005-05:00

Soup season is winding down, sadly for me. Not that I don't make summer soups, but well, they're just not the same. And we're not fans of gazpacho around here, or cold beet soup which I kid you not, my Polish grandmother used to eat over vanilla ice cream. Ye gads!

One soup that is in the frequent rotation in the K&K kitchen is Split Pea Soup. No ham bone or meat, just veggies and split peas. As per my usual cooking routine, I just add all kinds of ingredients that are in the pantry.
Here's my rendition of Vegetarian Split Pea Soup:

1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and picked over for stones
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
2 sweet potatoes, diced
12 cups of water
1 tsp each thyme, oregano, sage, black pepper
1 bay leaf
pinch of cayenne
salt to taste

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, sautee for a few minutes, then add the water and split peas. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Add the herbs, but reserve the salt until the end, otherwise the split peas will be tough. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until split peas are soft. Salt to taste. I used an immersion blender to make my soup smooth and silky, but you can keep it chunky too. Top with cheddar cheese and/or croutons.
It's an easy recipe, but good in a simple way. An aside: I just finished reading Julie & Julia and Julie Powell was writing about Potage Parmentier (Potato Leek soup) and the difference between "easy" and "simple", which I won't get into here (but I definitely recommend that book, especially to bloggers).

I like posting my cooking on my blog, because one day I hope to just compile these posts into a little Blurb cookbook. I think that would be a great way to make a family cookbook to give as gifts at Christmas.

On yet another related note, I recently reorganized my spices, which were taking over my small pantry. I love looking at the everyday beauty that is people's homes, especially their kitchens and the places where people work to nourish their families.
I took a glorious trip ALONE to Ikea and bought those jars (4/$2.99) and a $.49 shelf in the "As Is" section, which I had to cut down on the chop saw (all by myself, I might add). The brackets were $4, so this was a project that cost very little but has made me much happier while cooking.
What's for dinner at your house tonight?

Random Line Squiggle On-the-Go Activity Pads {Giveaway}

2010-03-05T10:49:00.002-05:00

Like many parents, we struggle to keep our child busy, especially in those inevitable situations where they must sit still, like in carseats and waiting rooms. We turn to quiet toys, like crayons and activity books, and recently we checked out The Squiggle Series from Random Line, which is a series of wonderful drawing and educational pads geared to kids 4 and up.

The Squiggle Shapes On-the-Go ($9.95)was a hit with an 8 year old friend.
The premise is that you spin the wheel at the top to randomly choose a shape, and draw a picture using that shape.
Here, the shape was a trapezoid, so here is a drawing using that shape
Pretty fun, eh? The pad comes with a pencil too that is stored with the pad, making it perfect to keep in the car or in a bag. Though my tester wished it came with an eraser (I didn't mind that though).

The Squiggle Dinosaurs On-the-Go pad was another great pad, though I think it's a little harder for younger kids or those paleontologically-challenged, like me.
You start with a pre-made squiggle already printed on the pad
and then you spin the wheel to pick a dinosaur. Then you use that squiggle to draw the dinosaur.
I can barely tell a dinosaur apart from an alligator (or Dino Flintstone, for that matter), so I could see how kids might get frustrated by this pad, unless of course they're big into dinosaurs. I know as an art teacher that once kids hit middle school, they want to draw things as realistically as possible, and they often get frustrated when something doesn't look like the real thing. If that's the case for your kids, you might want to pick something easier to draw, like the Squiggle Barnyard On-the-Go pad.
I think the Alphabet Squiggle would be great for practicing ABCs.
There are so many more varieties, and to tell you the truth, I'd love to get one of each for SoJo when he gets older. I loved drawing and activity books as a kid, and these leave so much more to the imagination than typical coloring books.

Random Line is kindly offering

A Squiggle On-the-Go book of your choice!

To enter
Visit Random Line and leave a comment here with your favorite On-the-Go pad and why you'd like to win it.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Become a Fan of Random Line on Facebook
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Follow @RandomLine on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win a Squiggle On-the-Go Activity pad from @RandomLine http://goo.gl/fb/zHbU @katydidandkid #giveaway. Keep your kids busy in the car!

US Postal addresses only.

You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Monday March 15th at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I received two Squiggle On-the-Go pads for review purposes.

Pediped Flex with New DRYZ Technology

2010-03-02T13:15:00.010-05:00

There's nothing like damp, spring weather to really give kids' shoes a beating. Pediped has developed a new technology called DRYZ®, which is a specially-formulated, odor resistant insole that controls both moisture and temperature.

We're new to Pedipeds in our house, and the Adrian shoe ($48), one of the Pediped Flex line, has impressed us.
Unlike a lot of kids' shoes I've come across in the stores, Pediped's Flex line is, well, flexible on little feet.
Some other kids' sneakers have such stiff bottoms that it can make it difficult for toddlers to walk. The Adrian shoe is not just flexible, but it's stylish too. I like that the Adrians can be either dressed up or dressed down. The wide velcro closure makes them so easy to put on my son and they can be tighted for a snug fit.
With all the damp, muddy spring days ahead of us, I think the DRYZ Technology will be a great help. The shoes are machine washable and come with a removable insole, which helps cushion feet, control temperature, and absorb odors.
We really like these shoes, and will definitely buying another pair in the near future, perhaps some sandals.
Disclosure: We received a pair of Adrian Pediped Flex shoes for review purposes.

An Early Dose of Spring: The Philadelphia Flower Show

2010-03-02T08:25:00.014-05:00

I'm not one of those daughters that hopelessly adores her daddy, I mean, you'd never see us at one of those father/daughter dances back in elementary school. He's not a touchy-feely type of person (just look at the photo--I don't think he ever smiles in them) so I think we've had trouble relating to each other when I was growing up. But I do love him, after all, he's my dad, though I'm sure he won't like me posting this photo. Oh well, that's what daughters like me do to our dads.
However, we do have at least one thing in common--gardening. My dad introduced me to gardening, and some of my earliest memories are of working in our garden with him, watching the corn get taller and taller, searching for potatoes in the dirt, planting tomatoes. We had inheirited a pretty large garden from the previous owners of my childhood home, and for years we had a nice variety of veggies growing back there, along with multiple apple trees (the apples of which my dad had pressed into cider at a local orchard).

Anyway, the relevance of this is that my dad and I had a day out together yesterday to the Philadelphia Flower Show. It's quite amazing, all of the creative displays of flowers and plants in the convention center. The theme was "Passport to the World" and I think this year's show was the best I had seen (having been to 3-4 of them).
The balloon above was the welcoming centerpiece, made of roses and pansies. The color combo is great! I loved the idea of a global theme with various landscaping companies working with different countries. Nearly everything is made out of flowers, leaves, and other natural items. Here are some of the highlights:

South Africa

Germany (beer garden)

Japan

China

Polar theme

calla lilies captured in ice

Thailand

and my absolute favorite, The Indian Wedding

There were even a few Crooked Houses there (I'd love one for our backyard, though they're too pricey).
There are also lots of displays of botanical illustrations, window box displays, ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), kids' gardens, fashion made out of flowers--the amount of stuff to see is incredible. I really enjoyed seeing the artwork that people made out of pressed flowers. Each of these pictures is made entirely of plant material.
the ones made by kids are really amazing. Definitely something I'd like to try with SoJo someday.
My dad bought me some seeds for our upcoming veggie garden and also bought S some really great books by Lois Ehlert (she illustrated Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom), Planting a Rainbow,

Growing Vegetable Soup,

and Eating the Alphabet.

I love the Eric Carle-esque illustrations and the focus on plants and veggies. I look forward to reading these to SoJo prior to our gardening project this year.

After walking around for hours, we decided to walk to Old City to get some Indian food at Karma (another commonality between my dad and I. My mom dislikes Indian food, so we took advantage of our mutual enjoyment). It was quite tasty and worth the long walk and gritty wind blowing through the streets.
Took the train home, gave SoJo lots of hugs, and called it a wonderful day. It was quite pleasant when I got home, being truly tired from miles of walking, sipping ginger tea on the couch, letting my bones sink into the cushions. A good day with my dad. Thanks Dad!

Smiling Planet

2010-03-02T06:52:00.000-05:00

SoJo and I are loving this adorable Circle of Life and Stars plate ($14) we received from Smiling Planet (the name of the store alone unfurrows my normally tense brow).
Made of dishwasher-and-human-safe (no BPA, phthalates, lead, or toxic inks) polypropeline plastic, this plate has a little lip around the edges which makes scooping up food a lot easier for toddlers.
I love the whimsical drawings on their plates, highlighting earth-friendly sentiments and peaceful imagery. SoJo enjoys spotting all of the animals lined up in a circle around the stars, along with the little Yogi man.
Though I'm certain the pictures would make kids rush to clear their plates, I love how soothing the illustrations are. At 14 bucks, it's a very reasonably-priced plate that is perfect for both everyday and for special occasions. The matching placemats ($12.99) are nice too, and each comes with two images (one on both the back and front)
You can also find Smiling Planet's signature designs on books and tees too. They'd make unique gifts! I know I'd be impressed if I received one of these items.
Disclosure: I received a plate from Smiling Planet for review purposes.

Sunday at the Art Museum

2010-02-28T19:03:00.005-05:00

SoJo and I took a trip to "my" art museum this afternoon (where I work) and he had a great time checking out the art, including the big outdoor sculpture near the entrance..
Besides giving me "tickets" (our own private game where he gives Mr. Geek and I pretend tickets or real scraps of paper), he played with blocks and did a bit of coloring.
The museum has free Sunday programming where the Museum educators (myself included, though not today) assist visitors in making simple make-and-take art projects.
There's also an interactive kids' gallery that we re-design each time we get a new Special Exhibition (roughly twice a year). It's a lot of work, but so fun to make (imagine that show Trading Spaces, but with much smaller budget) and to see how much people enjoy it. The theme of our current show is The Green House, which focuses on eco-friendly architecture, so the kids' gallery was transformed into a green theme. Do you recognize this chandelier?
Yep, it's the one I made last year, and it's on loan to the gallery. There were also other fun things made with recycled items, like cereal box/cardboard garlands and mobiles

A bicycle clock and cardboard sconces

a giant dragon (I think we named him Recycle Rex or something goofy like that) made from cardboard boxes and other stuff we recycled from the storage closet.
I love the eyes, made from a globe cut in half, with coffee filter eyebrows.
We painted the boxes yellow (though I would have just left them unpainted--more natural-looking) and on top of each box is a little environment that kids can add to using paper, recycled egg cartons, string and other stuff. Each box represents a different setting, like water, air, land and sky.

This wall has an activity where kids write a wish for the earth or something they do to "go green" on a paper hand and then paste it onto the wall for others to see. I painted the cardboard globe, which is pretty cute, I must say. They eyes are actually pages from a magazine.
Under the world is a bean bag game using repurposed socks and gloves filled with rice as the bags.

We had a nice time, especially getting out of the house and being around other kids. Have you checked out your local museums lately?

Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 {Giveaway}

2010-02-27T19:51:00.007-05:00

I love messing around with digital scrapbooking, particularly with designing things for my blog. If I had any kind of decent, full-color printer, I'd certainly be a digital scrapbooking fiend by now since I really enjoy working on the computer with graphics.

Recently I was given a chance to try out some software called Digital Scrapbook Artist 2, by Serif.
I'm pretty skilled in Photoshop, and I found that this product was similar in terms of layout but much simpler to use. My Photoshop skills took quite a while to perfect (I'm self-taught), but Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 makes it so easy to get started immediately on your own projects.

Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 has a Start-up Wizard that walks you through the steps of creating a project, if you're a bit timid about stepping out on your own. You can do a lot of cool stuff digitally, like adding stencils,

stitching, or using a brush in this program.

I enjoyed using the decorative scissors with scalloped edges to accentuate my photos. So much less messy that actual cutting!
There are tons of features in this program and the creative possibilities are endless. Here's a sample that I did of my son, using one of the free templates that comes with the program.
The software also came with a $15 voucher for Daisy Trail digital scrapbooking site to get you started with some kits or embellishments. Of course one can buy digital scrapbooking kits on other sites too, and they're compatible with Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 as well.

I really like using this program and am looking forward to compiling some pages for a photo book I'd like to get printed of some highlights in my son's life. Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 will make it much easier to make and much more decorative than straight-up photos. I also think this would be a great way to design your own photo cards for party invitations and the holidays.

One lucky K&K reader will win

A Copy of Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 ($49.95)

To Enter
Visit Serif and leave a comment about your favorite feature of Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 or another product you'd like to try out.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Follow @katydidandkid on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win a copy of Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 ($49.95) http://tinyurl.com/ycds977 @KatydidandKid #giveaway

US Postal addresses only, since food items cannot be shipped outside of the US.
You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Thursday March 11th at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 for review purposes.

Cooking with Quorn {Giveaway}

2010-02-27T12:47:00.010-05:00

As mostly vegetarians, we like to enjoy fake "meat" from time to time, like veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs. Frankly (get the pun?), I've been getting a bit tired of the usual brands, so I jumped at the opportunity to try some products by Quorn.

I've seen their frozen foods in the health food section of the grocery store and was intrigued by them. Their products look a lot like chicken, both in color and texture, so I was pleased that the company was happy to send some samples for us to try out.

First up: The Naked Chik'n Cutlet.
I was really impressed with these, both in the texture and taste. They are soy-free and only 80 calories per cutlet and they have a taste much like chicken and not at all like the soy meat substitutes we've had in the past. They were delicious pan fried in a spritz of olive oil, and also baked in the oven.
I cut up the baked ones and added them to a lentil and bean stew.
The Chik'n pieces were really good in the stew, and the texture held up well. I hesitated just throwing the uncooked Chik'n into the crock pot, since I wasn't sure if they'd get mushy, which is why I baked them first.
As you can see, the Chick'n pieces held up well (that's a chunk in the bottom of the photo).
I like how versatile the Chik'n cutlets are--they can be baked, pan fried, even grilled.

Their other products are sooo good too, like the Chikn' nuggets (of course my toddler loved those),
the meatless, soy-free Grounds (as in ground "beef"), which are great in tacos and nachos
and the Gruyere Chik'n Cutlets, which added a nice flavor to the plain Chik'n.
They even make a Turkey Roast, for going meatless at Thanksgiving (or other meals). I will definitely be buying more Quorn products in the near future. They're such a welcome change from the usual meatless foods we eat. And they'll be great on the grill in the summer.

Quorn is kindly offering one K&K reader

All 12 varieties of Quorn products!

(shipped to you in a refrigerated package)

To enter
Visit Quorn and leave a comment here about the product you'd most like to try and why you'd like to win.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
Subscribe to my updates
Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Follow @katydidandkid on Twitter and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day). You can copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Win 12 boxes/varieties of meatless, soy-free foods from Quorn @katydidandkid http://ow.ly/1pq4ds

US Postal addresses only, since food items cannot be shipped outside of the US.
You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Wednesday March 10th at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner within 72 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure: I received the four products I wrote about above from Quorn to write this review. And they are completely delicious and were gone in less than a week.

Weekend Contest Love (2/27)

2010-02-27T12:12:00.003-05:00

Happy weekend! The chores are done, the laundry is in the dryer, and we're looking to do something fun today. How 'bout you? In my mind, I'd like to get some stuff planned for SoJo's upcoming birthday, but we'll see. I'm more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants procrastinator, but I really want to at least come up with some ideas for the transportation theme.

Link up your contests below, and enjoy the weekend!