Katydid and Kid

Brothers {this moment}

2012-01-27T14:47:00.001-05:00

I'm linking up to Soule Mama's "this moment" today. Happy weekend friends!

({this moment}=A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.)

Principles of Knitting: Book Review

2012-01-27T14:41:00.003-05:00

As a knitter with over 15 years of experience, there isn't much I cannot do with the knit and purl stitches--at least I thought prior to receiving a review copy of the upcoming book, Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt, which arrives on shelves February 14th, 2012.

This mega-hefty book (736 pages!) resembles one of my old college textbooks--heavy and densely packed with info and reference materials all related to knitting. Definitely of better use to me than a Biochemistry text with its exhaustive and comprehensive compendium of knitting instruction,

Principles of Knitting contains chapters on everything, from methods of casting on, to decorative stitches and patterns, to color work, something I'm not at all proficient at. I'll surely be referencing that chapter frequently. I'm most interested in the chapter on calculating pattern designs, something I've wanted to do for some time now. Despite the comprehensiveness of this book, I like that the language of the book is easy to understand and follow. And there are lots of images to support the text, including close-up details of knit patterns.

Principles of Knitting is great to have on hand for when you have a question but no access to a master knitter. It's most likely to be of use to experienced knitters, though I'm certain it would be helpful for beginners too. It contains a glossary of knitting terms, but no patterns. I'm happy to have this handy reference amongst my needlework books.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Principles of Knitting for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Paper Valentine's Bouquet

2012-01-26T09:44:00.000-05:00

I believe my Valentine's Day crafting kick is a result of the doldrums of winter and the post-Christmas let-down; I'm trying to bring back some of the festivity and color into such a bleak time of year for me.

With Valentine's Day, you don't have all the pressure of baking, decorating, wrapping, and general merriment to keep up with. How funny that in actuality, Chris and I never celebrate this holiday of love. We get to do that all year...seriously, we do cherish our relationship on a daily basis. My apologies for making you throw up in your mouth.

Anyway, while Soren and I had out all the paper hearts and stuff last week, I thought I'd recycle some salt containers and tissue paper scraps into a cute paper bouquet. This would be a sweet thing to give a teacher, librarian or grandparent. For us, it's sitting in our kitchen, brightening the space.

Here's what you'll need:

Empty round cardboard container (oatmeal, salt, etc.)
Red, pink, white, or even orange colored or decorative paper or paper doily hearts
Scissors
Glue (Mod Podge or glue stick works best)
Contact paper (optional)
Tissue paper in "Valentine's" colors
Pipe cleaners

To make the vase,you'll need a sheet of decorative paper to cover the entire container.

Cut off the top with a knife,

then measure the cylinder to size on the decorative paper. I added an inch at the top so I could fold it over and cover the edges.

Once you have your paper cut, cover the back with Mod Podge or glue. I stupidly used Elmer's Glue All, which ended up leaving wrinkles. Next time I'll use glue stick or something that doesn't wet and wrinkle the paper so much.

To finish the top, cut notches in the paper all the way around

then fold over and secure underneath with more glue.

Next, start adding your hearts. I had pre-cut a bunch from another project, which took no more than 5 minutes at that time. Fold a square of paper in half, then cut a candy cane shape.

Lots of sizes work best. You want to fill in the vase as much as you can.

Here is the finished vase, ready to be sealed either with Mod Podge or contact paper.

I chose to use contact paper--no surprise, given my plethora of contact paper projects as of late. I cut a piece to size, then rolled it over the outside of the vase, smoothing out any air bubbles.

Now on to the flowers. I cut some heart-printed tissue paper into circles

and fringed the edges by folding it into 4ths and cutting some scallops around the edge.

Don't worry about it being perfect--it doesn't matter!

Then I pinched it between my fingers

slipped the end of a pipe cleaner inside the fold.

Fold the pipe cleaner up, while still pinching the paper and the end of the pipe cleaner inside the paper,

and twist it around the stem of the pipe cleaner that's inside the "flower", holding the stem in place.

Fluff out the petals, and you're done. I made 5 for my vase, which gave it a full look.

Pretty and simple!

Winter's Late Arrival

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Soren had a delightful weekend, reveling in a wintery playland when bestowed on us here in the Northeast. It's been an oddly mild winter, save for that freak Halloween snowstorm last year.

Saturday morning we woke to a few inches of snow, and a kid begging for me to take him out in it, nightgown and all. Once I got dressed, we headed out. Snow always makes me nostalgic for my childhood, especially when icy bits hang onto my gloves and my cheeks tingle with the cold. I hope my boys grow up with the same fondness for snow days that I have, and not the disdain that their dad has for the coldest season. So far, so good for Soren!

He LOVES snow, and we're lucky to have so many kids in our neighborhood to play with.

Naturally, he'd rather hit mama with a snow chunk than the other kids. Watch the lens, kid!

Down the block is a church whose parking lot of snow is eventually harvested into one awesome sledding and climbing pile.

It's always fun to bring the fun inside too, for hands to defrost around a mug of cocoa. Parents, I swear on this activity; S played off and on with the snow indoors for hours.

Just add little toys, and sit back with a cup of coffee and a magazine. Your work is done for a little while.

I hope you're enjoying winter's pleasures wherever you may be. Unless of course you're in the Southern Hemisphere. Then I'd prefer not to hear about your warm, sunny days lounging on a beach. :)

More Valentine's Fun with Contact Paper

2012-01-24T13:54:00.001-05:00

So I've become somewhat addicted to the possibilities of contact paper. From covering membership cards to decorating and crafting, it's one kitchen aisle supply I'll keep around in our art cabinet.

This weekend I continued with the Valentine's Day vibe, making an easy display for our front door.

Other than some remnant fabric from IKEA covering the glass, this door is no-frills.

We have a full-glass door, and a full-glass storm door too, so we get some decent light through that window. It's nice to add some color to it without blocking the light, so contact paper and a few paper hearts worked well for adding some interest without compromising light.

As luck would have it, the roll of contact paper I had measured just an inch or so narrower than the window, which made for easy measuring. I took a measurement for length, cut the paper to size, then peeled off the paper backing, leaving the sticky side up.

Using some pre-cut paper hearts (some doily-ones from the craft store and some that I cut myself from decorative papers), I laid them in a random pattern all over the sticky side of the contact paper.

This is another easy project for kids to do. As long as they don't get carpet crumbs and hair onto the sticky surface (oops, that was me!).

In case you forgot those kindergarten heart-making skills, simply fold a piece of paper in half, then cut it out like this:

Once the hearts had been placed to my heart's desire,

I stuck the contact paper carefully to the window. It's a little tricky, but best to start at the top and work your way down slowly, smoothing bubbles as you go along.

For a large window like mine, it helps to have a helper, but I was able to do it myself without much difficulty. Thankfully contact paper is repositionable.

Here's the final result:

Bright and cheery, super-simple and cheap!

It certainly beats the standard wreath, and I love how it looks from the inside too.

There are so many possibilities with contact paper on windows. Why not give it a try?

Kids' Valentine's Day Place Mat

2012-01-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

SoJo and I embarked on a little crafting on Friday, with little mess (bonus points!). As a preschooler, he's been clued in to holidays now, and since Valentine's Day is on the horizon, he's been asking about making Valentines for his classmates (making! Yes, how sweet! I'm such a proud art-mama).

While on a January organizing kick, I stumbled upon a paper bag of cut-out hearts that I made last year for a playdate party, and thought I'd invite him to make an easy place mat for the table.

The biggest challenge? Explaining what a place mat is. We don't really use them in our home, mostly since S would just toss them on the floor all the livelong day anyway. And they're one more thing on the list of stuff to clean.

So using some clear contact paper, we got to work. We pulled out a bunch of art supplies (some of which are for another project, which I'll post soon) to use.

Soren helped roll out the contact paper, then I cut it to the size of a place mat. I then cut another piece to the same dimensions.

I peeled off the backing, then had him place the hearts all over the sticky side. He loved sticking his finger onto it.

Then I cut some ribbon to "frame" the edges and had him smooth it into place.

Once he was happy with where he placed the hearts, we wrote his name and the year on the biggest one for posterity.

Then I took the second piece and peeled away a bit of the backing. I lined up the top edges, then had S pull the backing. As it unrolled, I pressed the top piece down, adhering it to the bottom piece.

Then I told him to "use his muscles" and rub the hearts and contact paper so it stuck together.

Trim the edges, and you're ready for a snack.

Older kids would have fun creating their own hearts or images. With my preschooler, it worked better having the paper hearts already cut out and available in lots of sizes and colors.

This would be equally pretty hanging in a window. Contact paper is da bomb!

Good Clean Organic Fun with Dolphin Organics

2012-01-19T11:11:00.004-05:00

If you're a reader of this blog more than a few weeks, you probably know that I exclusively use natural and often organic cleaning items, not just for my home but also in cleaning our bodies, particularly those of my young kiddos.

I've been using Dolphin Organics Baby Bubble Bath for 2 months now in Soren's bath and am quite pleased with the results.

Not only does it get him clean, but the bubbles actually last. Unlike many natural products (Dr. Bronners, also a go-to in our house), Dolphin Organics bubble bath actually retains the bubbles for more than a millisecond. And that is quite important in our house! Plus I only need to add a little bit to the bath to make the bubbles, which is great for making the stuff last.

Their tagline, "if you can't find it in nature, you won't find it in our products" aptly describes the ingredient list of (mostly) pronouncable items. The back of each container lists the ingredients in columns determining which ingredients are organic and which are natural.

Though even after scouring the Dolphin Organics website, I still am not sure exactly what "Sodium Phytate" is, which is listed under the natural ingredients. Maybe they can have a page with more explanation, like some other natural and organic brands do.

I do think its gentle ingredients may have helped keep Soren's skin from drying out. I haven't had to use lotions or creams on them so far this year. I'm eager to try out the rest of their line, including their Baby Shampoo and Body Wash.

While their products are more expensive than conventional ones, Dolphin Organics to me is worth spending a little more on, especially considering that they're being used on little ones' bodies. And I love that the company was started by parents who were looking for an organic, natural way to keep their children clean.

You can keep up with Dolphin Organics on Twitter and Facebook. I'm hoping to find their products in brick-and-mortar retailers sometime soon.
Disclosure: I received a sample of Dolphin Organics' Baby Bubble Bath for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Creative Yearnings

2012-01-15T14:47:00.001-05:00

In the midst of a freezing cold Sunday afternoon, I'm trying to create.

That is, if I can close this damned laptop and keep Oscar the cat from pestering me and trying to sit on my work. And since I just pricked myself with a needle, I thought I'd take a little break and post.

I'm juggling no less than 4 projects at the moment, all involving wool of some kind--knitting, felting, embroidery, all the fun stuff, at least in my book. And no better time of year to use wool!

Hope you're finding some creative space on this Sunday afternoon. Back to stitching pour moi...

Book Review: Sweets on a Stick {Giveaway}

2012-01-12T14:24:00.003-05:00

Having young children gives me a great reason to entertain, and I'm often searching for fun, kid-friendly ways to serve food at parties. With the cupcake and cake pop crazes still underway, I was eager to review the new book, Sweets on a Stick by Linda Vandermeer.

It's full of so many fun ideas for making, well, sweets on sticks. Not limited to trendy cake pops, Sweets on a Stick also has pies, muffins, cookies and candy on sticks too.

Soren and I browsed through the review copy and each page turn kept upping the ante of what he wanted us to create for our next party (most likely his birthday in March). My feeling is that he might choose the Blast Off Rocket cookies, since he's currently smitten with robots and outer space.

Though my personal favorite would be the Boston Creme Pie Pops. Yum!

It's going to be a hard decision which ones we make for our next event. So many of the recipes would be great for school too, either parties or bake sales.

I'm eager to try many of these recipes, and hope you might be too.

WIN IT!

One lucky reader will receive a copy of

Sweets on a Stick

To Enter
Tell me why you'd like to win this book or share your experience with making any kind of treat on a stick.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):
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~Follow @katydidandkid 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 @AdamsMedia Sweets on a Stick baking book http://goo.gl/fb/x3l7u @Katydidandkid #Giveaway ends 1/22

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 January 22nd at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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 24 hours, I'll pick another.
Disclosure:I received a copy of Sweets on a Stick for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Visting an Art Museum with Young Children

2012-01-10T09:57:00.000-05:00

Having worked as an art teacher with a focus on museum education, I want to expose my children to museums from an early age. This weekend, we took a trip to a local art museum, where I used to work and teach.

The museum has recently reopened after nearly a year of renovations, so it was fun for me to see the big changes in the galleries, and even view some of the "new" works brought out from the collection.

If you're a parent, particularly of small children, you're probably cringing at the thought of bringing your kids to an art museum. Don't be! To me, a museum is not some sacred, silent space of contemplation and dead air. Instead, its treasures can be great teaching tools for children and a way for you to model appreciation of the arts to your kids.

Many museums, like the one I worked at, have activities for kids, whether in the form of activity backpacks you can check out at the front desk, or even a children's gallery

which has interactive exhibits and hands-on activities like this felt board below.

I like that our children's gallery is so colorful and includes stations with a variety of DIY craft projects (I used to love coming up with those activities, when I used to work in the Ed Department).

However if your museum does not have kid-friendly areas, you can still enjoy looking at and talking about art together.

When possible, let your children guide you through the museum. Take a cue from their interests, whether it's in the colorful abstract paintings or a weird chair made from wagon wheels, as seen below.

Engaging their senses is also a great way to help children connect to artworks. Questions like "what might this artwork sound like, or smell like or taste or feel like?" can lead to interesting discussions. Keep prodding kids to dig deeper, like asking "why does it make you feel like that?" or "why do you think the artist wanted you to feel that way?" can help them make sense out of a work. And please don't worry that you don't have the "right" answer. You're there to experience the work, not to try and interpret what you think the artist was trying to say.

Another way to engage kids is to bring along drawing materials. Most museums allow for pencil sketching in the galleries, though stick to pencils, not markers or crayons. A clipboard and extra paper is helpful too. Though be sure to explain why one cannot touch the artworks in a museum. Oddly, when I used to give tours, it was mostly adults that I had to remind about not touching the work.

In addition to sketching, you could even plan a little treasure hunt in the galleries. This is best done by first previewing or becoming familiar with the collection. At home, collect some objects that represent some of the works in the galleries, like subject matter (little people, buildings, or items from a still life) or the materials (wire for a wire sculpture, a piece of metal, etc.). Have your children walk around looking for the artwork(s) represented by the objects.

Rather than just a quick scramble to find artworks, be sure to stop and talk about each work once you find it. At the end of the hunt, you might treat your kiddos to some hot cocoa in the museum cafe, or pick out some postcards in the gift shop.

Don't let the experience end at the museum door. Bring the experience home by creating a mini museum using a box and art materials. Let the kids decorate a cardboard box with paper or paints, then fill the museum with sculptures made of wire or play dough and paper paintings on the walls. At our museum, we used to make these with school groups with huge success. The kids really enjoyed this activity, especially personalizing the space.

However you choose to enjoy a museum, the important thing is getting there! The sooner you start, the sooner your children will become familiar and comfortable in museums. Who knows, you just might have a little curator blossoming in your home.

Apple Yogurt Cake

2012-01-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

Often, Chris and I are craving something sweet, even though the pantry is empty and there's no chocolate left in the house (trying to cut back after the holidays--though cake is always welcome, lol). I usually have apples, eggs, flour and yogurt on hand, so when I found this recipe for a yogurt apple cake, I knew I was going to make it.

It's moist and filled with chunks of soft apples, perfect for dessert or breakfast. As per my usual routine, I modified the recipe a bit to accommodate what I had on hand. I assume you could use other fruit in place of the apples, like berries or pears.

Apple Yogurt Cake with Cinnamon Swirl (modified from the Kitchn)
1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt, well-stirred
2/3 cup olive oil (I used 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/3 cup of applesauce)
1 orange, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 small tart apples, such as Granny Smith, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil or baking spray.
Combine the yogurt, olive oil, orange juice, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir the apples into the liquid ingredients.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including half of the cinnamon, mixing to combine. Add to the wet ingredients, then stir until no lumps remain. In another small bowl, mix the remaining cinnamon with the brown sugar and butter.
Pour half of the batter into the cake pan. Sprinkle the batter with half of the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture, dropping it on the batter in small lumps. Spread the rest of the batter over top, and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-brown sugar.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake sit for 15 minutes to cool before cutting. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. Due to the apples, the cake gets moister each day, but will keep well for a few days. Delicious!

Christmas Reflections

2012-01-05T13:23:00.001-05:00

Nearly two weeks later, I'm finally loading and sorting through photos from Christmas and New Year's on my computer.

Some of it is that school and the routine is back in swing, so I have a bit more time to do some non-essential tasks like that. Changing diapers and feeding kiddos mostly takes precedence, right? :). Though at the moment, I'm also tending to two sick kids; this season has been full of nasty coughs and sinus trouble. Sigh.

However, we had a surprisingly good holiday, despite worries that it was going to be a looooooong 13 days with Chris home with me and the boys.

But we kept busy, visiting with relatives and shuffling Soren off with his uncles for visits to the Please Touch Museum and other fun spots.

I was gifted with many delicious mornings of sleeping in until 8am--not late for most people, though considering S wakes up at 5:30am, it's a luxury. Thanks Chris!

We had a lot of time to connect as a family, building blocks with S, going to the park, creating things at the kitchen table, playing with cars.

Two of my picture-perfect plaid boys on Christmas Eve

Chris and I have mastered the "divide and conquer" approach to parenting two kids, which made for a smooth holiday week.

On Christmas, I made a fabulous breakfast with a spinach and artichoke frittata, home fries, fruit salad, and coffee. It was sooo good!

Not my finest photo, but Chris was chiding me about being like my mom and never letting him snap a candid shot, rumpled nightgown, greasy hair and all. Keepin' it real, y'all.

Oh, I guess I missed the part about the gifts, which occurred pre-breakfast. It was a really magical year for Soren; he was so excited about everything!

He received some open-ended gifts from us, like Citi Blocs, art supplies, and finger puppets. And some favorite Skippyjon Jones books.

Later that week, we visited friends, for whom I made some homemade gifts like knitted hats, play dough, jar baked goods mix, and a breakfast gift basket.

For my friend's daughter, I painted a really cute puppet theater, a miniature version of Jennae's puppet theater. I love how it turned out!

I also made some "jar gifts", like these Toffee Blondies in a Jar. I've yet to bake some myself, but they look yummy from the post. They were really easy to whip up into the jars too, in about 10 minutes.

And of course, I added some homemade applesauce and peppermint play dough.

I think I was most excited to give these gifts, since they were handmade and thus more meaningful. That by far is the best part of the season!

Sorry to cut this short, but I'm off to administer more hugs and Tylenol. Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Merino Wool for Winter Babes

2012-01-05T10:21:00.002-05:00

Baby, it's cold outside, at least the last few days here in the Northeastern US. I dread taking Jude out, unless he's bundled and layered and is swiftly ushered into a warm car.

When we do go out, particularly when walking big brother to school in the mornings, I make sure Jude not only has on his snowsuit, but my favorite hat and scarf combo, the Merino Kids Baby Hat and Scarf set, made of super-soft, warm Merino wool.

It's really fabulous stuff, this Merino wool, kind of like the Mercedes of wool. As a fiber artist, I've worked with all varieties of wool, and this is definitely the softest. You might not even guess that it's wool, that's how silky and soft it is. Which is perfect for being up against a baby's skin.

The navy blue hat is stretchy but not too loose or too snug for my 6 month old. It has a flap to either fold up or down, which is convenient for covering Jude's ears. And I like that the scarf is small enough for babies and has a little loop sewn on the front to slip the end of the scarf into, rather than having to tie or wrap it around a baby's neck.

Merino wool is great for people of all ages, since it naturally regulates body temperature and helps absorb any moisture. We also have a Merino Kids sleep sack which is great for our cool old house, keeping Jude warm when he needs it but not allowing him to overheat.

Merino Kids carries all kind of woolens for babes and kids, and while the price of Merino wool products is higher than cheap acrylic hats you can get at big box stores, the quality of these items will not only last for many siblings (and probably even generations), but it will keep your child more comfortable, in my opinion.

You can follow Merino Kids via Facebook and Twitter for specials and product updates.
Disclosure: I received a hat and scarf from Merino Kids for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Jude at 6 Months

2012-01-04T21:22:00.001-05:00

Six months! No matter how many millions of parents remark on where the time has gone, they grow up so fast, etc. etc., it is still unfathomable to me how quickly Jude's babyhood is flying by. 'Tis the curse of the second child. Even the memories of their infancy are like hand-me-downs (I often confuse some of the details of both boys' earliest months--which one slept through the night first?).

At six months, Jude is both serious

and utterly happy, adorable and smiley.

He likes:

when I sing to him (Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da is his favorite)
eating pears, apples, bananas
watching his brother run around acting nutso
nursing, nursing, nursing
television. Seriously, this kid is a magnet for the tv. We only have it on for an hour or two a day, yet all day long he's scanning over to it, looking for programs. Soren was not at all like that, oddly enough.
Sophie the giraffe (best chew-toy ever. Thanks Shana)

car rides. Sleeps every time.
Oh, since I mentioned sleep, he LOVES sleeping in general. This boy is like a newborn, taking sometimes 4 naps a day then sleeping 12 hours at night. What is going on in his brain? Though I don't particularly like those 3am wake-ups, wanting to nurse.
laughing and being tickled around the collarbone, especially when I use my nose.
hooting and hollering in echo-y spaces.
baths. He's been splashing and hitting the water with such concentration.
toys. Unlike S, Jude really loves toys and reaches for all kinds of objects (including hot coffee--yikes!). He really likes those plastic chain rings and rattles.

Dislikes:

getting out of a bath (too cold!)
not nursing right when he wakes up. All he needs to do is see me without my shirt open and he starts fussing and crying and even shaking. Typical man, right?
sweet potatoes

Notice how the dislikes are so short? I am so spoiled with this baby. He definitely makes up for the difficulties we went through with his brother. Which I never fail to remind you in every corner of this blog (poor S).

My little guy, half a year old! Hard to believe...

On the Needles, On the Stove

2012-01-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

We were spoiled the last few months here in Pennsylvania with milder-than-usual temperatures, but with a winter wind blowing outside the last two days, it was a perfect time to throw on a pot of beans, catch up with Breaking Bad on Netflix (surprisingly, I'm intrigued by such a dark series) and pull out the knitting.

My kind sister-in-law gifted me with an interchangeable needle set for Christmas this year, something that's been on my list for a while. I'm sure when it showed up at their door, she and my brother were like "what the heck?". Chris says the box looks like some sort of biblical book on cassette tape set.

Anyway, I just finished a hat for myself last night and it was perfect timing for that frozen walk to school with S this morning.

It looks great with my scarf, and is made from Lion Brand yarn I found at the craft store. I'm now working on yet another hat (total hats knit thus far this season=7) for Soren, per his request.

On the stove, I finally got around to learning how to cook beans from scratch.

It's pretty incredible that as a fairly accomplished home cook, I rarely soak and cook beans and mostly rely on canned ones. However, that has changed my friends! It's super-simple and the beans taste soooo much better.

With all the concern about BPA in canned goods, it's about time that I started soaking my own. And it is well worth it. The downside is that I have to do some planning and start them overnight. It's hard because I'm such a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-chair kind of cook, so rather than deciding to make black bean soup at a moment's notice, I have to prepare the night before.

I ended up making Harirra, a Moroccan bean soup with a few varieties of beans (in my case, turtle beans, red beans, red lentils, cranberry beans and really pretty red and white anasazi beans).

It's often used during Ramadan to bread the daily fasts in the evening, but I make it often during winter. I've shared the recipe in a previous post HERE if you'd like to make it yourself.

Paired with a loaf of homemade oatmeal bread, it's delicious on a cold winter day. So what's on your stove? Or on your needles, if you're so inclined to be a knitter?

Looking Forward, Thinking Back

2012-01-01T08:51:00.001-05:00

After taking some time off here to enjoy my family and friends, this week ended with a sweet little new year's eve party for the wee ones at our house last night.

It's been nice reflecting on all the blessings that have happened to our family this year--Jude's arrival, Soren beginning preschool, potty training success (mostly!), new twin cousins, a Halloween snowstorm, an opportunity to design Jude's nursery, and lots of fun outings including a trip to Disney World.

I'm looking forward to so many things in the coming year, first of which is just watching the boys grow and mature, and reveling in their joy and enthusiasm. Chris and I are eager to work in the garden again, hopefully adding some more square footage and veggies to the mix.

I'm also hoping to finally figure out how to best use my camera this year--it's one of my New Year's resolutions, along with knitting more. Last year knitting fell by the wayside, but I hope to take it up more, since I've started a local knitting group on Wednesday nights. I did manage to get a bunch of hats made for gifts, which has me on a knit/purl roll.

Most of all, I'm looking forward to more making and doing here, both with the boys and by myself. And I'm hoping to share it with you all along the way.

Here's wishing you a very happy, healthy, creative new year! Be well!

Wishing...

2011-12-25T08:58:00.002-05:00

Wishing you a very merry Christmas with your friends and family. I hope you can relax and enjoy your day surrounded by the ones you love.

Blessings to you and yours!

Decoupaged Pottery Barn Knock-Off Tray

2011-12-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

Whenever I flip through a Pottery Barn catalog, I often think "I can make that, and for a lot cheaper." Just this week, I saw a vintage-looking decoupaged typography tray, and thought I could definitely replicate this for a few bucks.

Pottery Barn Trays

My Knock-Off Trays. Tres Manifique, eh?

As a member of the #GlueNGlitter group at Social Fabric, I had the chance to play around with some of Elmer's Memory Keeping products and create a knock-off item of my choosing. How fun, shopping for craft supplies and making something. I've mentioned before that I'm a big Elmer's fan here, so I knew I'd find exactly what I needed to make this project.

I headed to Walmart to find what I needed. First off, the glass trays. I picked up 3 square candle trays, $3 for the large, $1.50 each for the small ones.

Then I headed to the Elmer's Memory Keeping Aisle, which was a little hard to find, since it's not in the Crafts section. Instead, I found it near the greeting cards, stationary and gift wrap.

There were lots of possibilities for adhesives, glues, and cutting agents. And it looked like a lot of people were either crafting with or gifting these items, since there were some empty spaces too.

I wanted to pick up a CraftBond Dual-tip Flexible Pen, a CraftBond Flexible Dual Tip Glue Pen,and X-ACTO templates, as well as an X-ACTO Knife and Self-Healing cutting mat.

There were so many nice products, including Precision scissors and larger scissors, including ones with decorative edges.

The adhesives were not limited to the typical Elmer's glue, but included glue dots and runners, adhesive spot stampers and refills. It was a little overwhelming, figuring out the best products to buy, especially that I'm not into scrapbooking. Though as an artist, I do appreciate how many acid-free options there are when it comes to adhesives and creating archival items.

Everything you need for creating paper memories, save for the photos.

Once I got home, I gathered the materials and got to work. Here's what I used:

Three Square glass candle plates (1 large, 2 small), Elmer's Dual Tip Glue Pen, Retractable X-ACTO Knife, X-ACTO Stainless Steel Scissors, X-ACTO Basic Shapes Templates, and the Dual Tip Flexible Pen in black (they were out of silver, which is the one I wanted).

I also created a template similar to the Pottery Barn one using Photoshop and printed it onto copy paper using a laser printer. Unfortunately, one cannot use an Ink jet printer because the ink will smear when in contact with the glue.

I'm uploading my template for you HERE, as a free printable.

I used my scissors to cut out the paper so it fit the larger glass plate.

Using the pen, I traced over some of the decorative flourishes along the edges, to make them stand out a little more. This would have looked prettier with the silver pen, but alas, my store was out of them.

Alternatively, you could use the X-ACTO Shape Templates to draw an original border around the edges. There are so many possibilities.

Once I finished preparing the paper, I turned my glass plate over (I made sure to remove the stickers and wash the glass of any residue first) and spread the glue from the Elmer's Glue Pen on the back.

I then spread it evenly with a foam brush

I carefully laid the paper on top, making sure it was evenly placed, then smoothed it down.

Next, add another layer of glue, and keep spreading the paper down with your fingers or the brush.

Any bubbles can be popped with an X-ACTO knife, then smoothed out.

While the larger plate was drying, I moved onto the smaller trays. I found the images here and here.

I used the self-healing mat and X-ACTO knife to cut out the picture by tracing around the edges.

I used the Marker to create a black border around the image before gluing it on the glass.

Then I followed the same steps as above, and got three really cute trays to use as gifts.

And it cost under $20 to make them, compared with$14 and $29 each at Pottery Barn.

They can hold trinkets, jewelery or even dry food, though only the top should be wiped clean. Submerging it will take the paper off.

Hope you make some of your own! They would make a great collage project for kids using magazine clippings or even stickers or their own artwork.

You can read more about my shopping experience via my Google+ post.
Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #Looks4Less #collectivebias#CBias

Making

2011-12-20T16:14:00.000-05:00

'Tis that time of year when we elves are busy busy busy making making making.

From cookies (I made peppermint snowballs and dark chocolate espresso ones)

to homemade gifts like our Peppermint Playdough (real-life friends, look away!)

The playdough was super-simple to make, and S and I had fun creating it to give to our little friends.

I used this recipe and it yielded 8 pints of the dough, enough for 8 friends.

We even made some gifts for the dads, like these popsicle stick frames, which are waiting for photos.

And here are my ever-present takeout boxes, waiting to be filled with Spicy Party Mix (forgive the awful photos in that post--it was pre-DSLR camera) for Chris' co-workers. Yum!

Despite the chaos in the house, I love having spools of ribbon and scraps of paper underfoot.

I'm still behind in a few gifts for Soren, as well as a few knitted gifts and teacher "breakfast" baskets with homemade pancake mix and cocoa.

What are you busy making this week?

Jude at 5 Months

2011-12-15T09:21:00.002-05:00

Where does the time go? Diaper changes, nursing, forever changing clothes that have been spit-upon or are soaked with drool, that's where it goes. My Baby Kickies is 5+ months!

Yeah, I neglected to take both the 4 month and 5 month white-onesie-wearing-lying-on-the-carpet photos, but I knew that streak would end eventually. I don't know how some moms do it, taking those monthly pics in the similar outfit/setting regularly. I can barely find time to comb my hair or pee.

At 5 months, Jude is really blossoming in his personality. He is constantly scanning the room for Mama, and either gets excited or upset when he sees me (when he wants to nurse or be held, all molecules of Jude WANT MAMA!).

He's such an incredible baby; in fact Chris and I were just whispering about that this morning (side note: both of us have lost our voices due to a lingering cold--it's hilarious and annoying), how we can't believe how easy he is. He was yawning and rubbing his eyes, Chris put him in his crib and he went right to sleep. In general, this is how he is with sleeping, once he finds his thumb.

This month we've also introduced solid foods to him, which has lit up a whole new area of pleasure in the prefrontal cortex of his brain (here I am getting all scientific on you). He grabs for the spoon, gobbling pears, rice cereal, and most recently, spinach and rutabaga. That was SO not like Soren. To this day no molecule of rutabaga has come across S's tongue.

He's so excited about eating that he'll even sit forward and pull himself up toward the spoon. Is this kind of baby gusto about food normal?

On the sleeping front, he still is not sleeping through the night. Some nights he's even up 3-4 times, wanting to nurse. It has been a rough month for him, with battling 2 colds and teething. Like his brother, Jude is a chronic teether. It seemed like Soren was always fussy, weeks before finally cutting teeth. It seems that way for Jude too.

The sleeping has been tough on me. Five+ months of interrupted sleep has made me prone to getting sick more often, and has made me a bit of an insomniac. It takes forever for me to fall asleep, I think because I'm anticipating being woken up right as I drop off (it has happened often). I'm hoping that once Jude is feeling better, I'll work on sleep learning. This book was helpful with Soren, and is a great approach for helping your child sleep without letting them cry it out.

In general, it's been a good month for our smiley boy. I love hearing his coos and vocalizing, and oh those cheeks! We're looking forward to enjoying our first Christmas with this delightful little guy.

Wordless Wednesay: Avoiding Housework

2011-12-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

The house is a wreck, but who cares when there's a delicious baby smiling and kicking on the floor.

Happy Wednesday!

Shoppers in Panic at JCPenney

2011-12-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

When it comes to giving gifts, I'm terrible at planning before hand. Shopping for Christmas prior to December? Not me. Often it's because I just don't know what to buy for family and friends, and I want it to be special, not something random. I guess I think that by waiting, an idea will eventually come to me (and it usually does).

Even this week, I'm knitting, painting and sewing up a storm, somehow in between nursing, diapering and all the other stuff we moms have to do.

Shoppers in Panic, like me, need look no further than jcpenney. There are lots of terrific last-minute gifts that you can find in their Last Minute Shopping Guide.
JCPenney Don't Panic Last Minute Shopping Guide
Who couldn't use a Keurig Coffemaker? It's a gift that keeps on giving, morning after morning.

Men on my shopping list can always use a new pair of Flannel Pants, these by Stafford.

And warm gloves are always a great choice, for those you know well and those you don't.

These Isotoner Smart Touch Tech Gloves are unique, especially for that person on your list who cannot be without their smartphone in reach.

Don't panic! There's still time to check off your list. And there are even more ideas in jcpenney stores. I was in our local one last week and was impressed with the sort of "gourmet" section with items from the Museum of Modern Art store and Dylan's Candy Bar. Happy shopping!
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Putumayo Celtic Christmas CD {48 Hour Giveaway}

2011-12-13T16:36:00.002-05:00

I've posted frequently about my enjoyment of the Putumayo world music series and its way of bringing a little bit of the world into our home. For the holidays, Putumayo has just released Celtic Christmas, which is a delightful album filled with folksy and even enchanting Celtic interpretations of traditional Christmas songs.

The album contains performers from Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada and the US, and has some of my favorite traditional Christmas songs, like "Good King Wenceslas", "Here We Come a Wassailing" and "O Come, O Come Emanuel."

The harmonies of the flute, harp, and mandolin in many of the songs are wistful and soothing and perfect for cozy-ing up on the couch on a cold December night. It's as if a band of traveling troubadours has stumbled onto my front doorstep (well, not really, but my imagination is sparked in that way by the music).

Celtic Christmas would make great background music for a Christmas party, wrapping gifts, or sipping wassail while watching the Yule log on TV. You can listen to some of the samples of the songs HERE.

WIN IT!

One lucky reader will win a copy of

Putumayo's Celtic Christmas

To Enter
Visit Putumayo and leave a comment about another album you'd like to own OR tell me your favorite song from the Celtic Christmas album.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
~Subscribe to my updates
~If you're a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
~If you're a Fan of Putumayo on Facebook, let me know
~Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and leave me the link
~Follow @PutumayoMusic on Twitter and leave me your Twitter handle
~Follow @katydidandkid 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 @PutumayoMusic 's latest holiday CD, A Celtic Christmas y} http://goo.gl/fb/kLGQq @Katydidandkid #Giveaway ends 12/15

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 December 15th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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 24 hours, I'll pick another.

Disclosure:I received a copy of Celtic Christmas for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Elf Antics

2011-12-13T13:11:00.000-05:00

Martin, our house elf, has been quite busy this month. After eating saltines and drinking ice water each night, he tiptoes about the house, creating surprises for us in the mornings. Today he made a snowman out of marshmallows and icing for Soren (tsk, tsk, Martin, no marshmallows for breakfast!). He must really miss his home at the North Pole, because there's been so much snow making around here, especially the paper kind.

That Martin is pretty crafty with scissors and paper.

Soren was delighted to discover this on the kitchen table one morning. I think Martin is running out of creative ideas though *wink*.

So far he has built an igloo out of cans from my pantry, drew snowflakes on our windows with window crayons, gotten wrapped up in toilet paper while trying to replicate a winter wonderland, and made a mess of flour on the table that we found him sledding in one morning.

In addition to his usual saltine crackers, he's raided our pantry and discovered a love of peanut butter, ketchup, pretzels, and sprinkles. And what a sprinkle-y mess indeed, as you can see above.

We love this little elf, and will miss him when he leaves soon. Until then, Martin, please be of some use too! I did like that one morning when I awoke to clean dishes.

Letting Go: Perfection

2011-12-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

Despite daily efforts of practicing mindfulness (emphasis on the word "effort"), I have a lot of trouble with letting go. I'm human, after all (shocking, I know), but I'm thinking about posting from time to time about my struggles with letting go of stuff. Not things like baby clothes and never-worn shoes, but of attachments to ideas, habits, petty annoyances, and character flaws.

One such thing that has been burdening my mind of late, well, really, of years, has been this need for perfection. Perfection in our home with tidiness and order, perfection in keeping Soren in line, perfection in action, like saying or doing the right thing at the right time. It's exhausting, and more pointedly, frustrating, but each day I still hop on that trick pony and keep up the act. It's a habit that I SO want to let go of.

But the truth is, I'm an utter failure at achieving it; pursing it, I'm pretty good, but perfection is so fleeting that it frustrates me. The house, though clean and orderly for all of 5 minutes, soon becomes sticky and toy-strewn.

Just today, I was visiting a friend who insisted that I sit down, relax, let the boys play, though every ounce of my being was wanting to hover, making sure my boy didn't destroy the place. He was certainly in the mode of doing so. I sometimes forget that, well, he's three, and he's a boy. His energy is overwhelming to a slug like myself. However, I really did try to mindfully let go of fussing over his every move, and then sat with my back to the kids. Yeah, they made a mess with playdough littering the floor (and walls!), but they had fun. And I even encouraged S to jump in an icy puddle on the way home. Why not? We were just walking back, and he could take off his shoes when we got inside.

One day at a time, breath by breath, I tell myself. Who knows what craziness with ensue tomorrow, maybe we'll rearrange the furniture or ice skate on paper plates around the kitchen. But you can be sure that I'll be still working on letting go.

Spirited Away

2011-12-08T09:53:00.002-05:00

This post has been incubating in the back of my head for quite some time. Yet I'm not really sure why I'm finally writing it this morning, since I'm not struck by creative inspiration or a profound moment. Maybe because it's been a rough morning with SoJo, and now that he's at school, I needed some sort of release from the "raaaahhhhhs" that I've been living with all morning (well, truthfully, most of the week).

Anyway, you're probably wondering what in the world this is about. Chris and I had a "eureka" moment last month when we were finally able to put a name to our challenges with our first born--he's a "Spirited" child.

The energy, adventurousness, and curiosity of this boy are incredible! And no less than half of our photos of him turn out like the one above.

I stumbled upon this book at the library, and it's really opened up a window into our son's personality and behavior. I can honestly say the last 3 years with Soren have been challenging, frustrating, tearful, and have called into question my skills as a parent. I often wondered what was wrong with me, and why my experience of parenthood was so lackluster compared with other parents that I know.

For a long time, I blamed myself, thinking I was just not cut out to be a mother, and that I was incapable of finding joy in the livelihood of being a parent. But then Jude came along, and Chris and I continually say "wow, so THIS is why people love babies and being parents!" Don't get me wrong, we're not playing favorites or idealizing life with our second-born; it's simply that he's just so much less demanding and so much more easy going and please-able. It really makes a difference in the level of stress in the house, thank goodness.

This realization has certainly made me have a deeper appreciation of all of those parents that I secretly judged prior to having kids myself, you know, when you're in line at the grocery store and a child is having a meltdown. The tendency is to blame the parents, however, as you parent-readers wisely know, it's a crap-shoot of everything, genetics, environment, mood, other influences, etc. You just never know what kind of kid you see or what the situation of the day was.

School has had its challenges, especially now that Soren is comfortable there and is showing his true colors. While he is enthusiastic and helpful to his teachers, I can tell that he's also a handful for them too. Yep, I had my first "can I talk to you" moment recently, when I picked him up from school. And yes, my heart sank, hearing those words.

But things are ok, and we're working on some issues, like we're continually working on issues. Parents of spirited kids are forever working, moment after moment after moment. I find that I don't have much of a break with keeping an eye on him, even at 3 1/2 years old. His persistence about things is a core trait of a spirited child.

Knowing what I now know via that book, it's comforting that I'm not alone in this, and that about 20% of kids are considered spirited. One of my brothers is what I'd now define as spirited, and I often wonder how my mom made it through his childhood (broken bones, broken furnishings, etc). Luckily for her, she had experience with her older children, who weren't so spirited, so I doubt she struggled with questions of her worth as a mother as I have.

Thankfully, this book has been helpful in suggesting ways of raising a child like Soren without breaking his spirit and encouraging his wonderful traits, which he has so many of. I love that he's so enthusiastic, curious, and filled with such joy (though his emotions in general are much more intense, so his lows are really low too). I hope that by parenting him moment by moment, mindfully, that Chris and I can bring out the best in him.

Do you have experience with a spirited child? What has worked for you?

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-06T14:21:00.001-05:00

What a busy month so far! Between decorating, making gifts, and making this time of year magical for my sons, it's been a fun week. As of right now, I'm just sipping tea, enjoying the Christmas lights on this dreary, rainy day while the boys nap.

Since I love peeking in homes this time of year, both online and sometimes on evening walks (shhhhh, don't tell! Though I could care less what the people are doing, I just like seeing what it looks like inside their homes), I thought I'd share some photos of our decorations.

It's really hard photographing the tree with our Northern-facing windows. But believe me, this tree is so pretty, even if it does look like it's leaning in the photo. Here's Soren below, right after putting the star on top.

This is the first year we went with a Frasier Fir instead of a Douglas Fir, and it's so much nicer. The needles aren't all over the floor like in Christmases past. Below is my homemade tree skirt, embroidered wool felt with dyed industrial wool felt pieces glued onto it (my fingers couldn't handle piercing that thick industrial felt).

Those little ceramic houses were once my uncle's; he collected them from a local department store each year, and now Soren plays with them under the tree.

I decorated the tree in bright colors, to go with the tree skirt and also the felt balls that I made a few years ago.

The stockings, while not hung by the chimney, go up our stair rail along with some fresh pine garland and white lights.

And of course I hung the Christmas Card holder wreath again this year. It's hungry for cards (so far there's just one on there), though I need to locate the missing clothespin at the bottom.

I also filled the Rwandan basket with a mix of pinecones, greens and fake berries (I just don't trust my son to have real ones around)

In the kitchen, we still have the gingerbread house, minus a few candies and nibbles,

and the Nativity set, a gift from the grandparents a few years ago. Soren and his friends really enjoy playing with it.

Also in the kitchen, a few odds and ends like the paper garland I sewed hanging on the windows

and a little Christmas tree on a wall shelf.

We have an odd bathroom off of the kitchen that I decorate too, with mini pennants and paper trees that I made

as well as the kids' tree, decorated with ornaments Soren and I have made together along with other ones he wanted to add to this small tree.

I intend on continuing to add more things on it as we make them this season.

Here's another photo of the felt garland I made this week. I never tire of looking at it hanging above the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

So that's the basic tour. It's a far cry from inviting you in for a hot cup of tea or coffee, but the sentiment is there. Have you decorated for the holidays? Leave me a link if you posted some photos on your blog. I'd love to "visit"!

Felt Bead Garland

2011-12-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

I whipped up this simple felt garland last night in a matter of minutes, seriously. And I love how it turned out, minimal, festive and elegant.

I used some of the felt beads left over from the mobile I made for Jude's room.

I used a yarn needle, threaded it with cotton yarn, then slid the needle through the beads.

The thickness of the yarn kept the beads in place, so I didn't have to knot them except for at the ends.

I might just have to create some more to decorate the Christmas tree too. They'd look great next to the felted ornaments and felt tree skirt that I made.

If you're looking for felt beads, I got mine from Handbehg Felts. The color is vibrant and the price is reasonable. I have doubts that I'll be taking it down after Christmas, it's such happy decoration.

Spread the Love with Matilda Jane {Giveaway}

2011-12-02T15:54:00.002-05:00

As the mama to two boys, one thing I really miss out on are cute clothes. While boys clothes are nice, utilitarian items, girls clothes are just so sugary-sweet. Thankfully, I have lots of girls in my life (including a new niece, born yesterday [along with her twin brother!] so I can indulge in buying such clothes.

Bristol Peasant Dress from Matilda Jane

Matilda Jane is one online shop that I'll admit to browsing in. While they do have a few boys' things, their dresses are the highlight of their collection, in my opinion.

I am so pleased to be participating in their Spread the Love campaign this holiday, where one of my lucky readers will win not only a dress for themselves, but TWO additional ones to gift to others!

What a generous giveaway, and so fitting for this time of year.

WIN IT!

So here's the scoop:
I'll randomly draw one winner who be mailed 3 different dresses in 3 different sizes. The winner picks one (their child's size, or closest to their size or just the one they like best), and get to give the other 2 away to whomever they please. NOTE: Matilda Jane will not be taking any requests for size or style and they are non refundable/exchangable.

Sounds great, right? Now on to the entry process. It's going to be easy-peasy this time.
To Enter
Sign up for Matilda Jane's newsletter (mandatory--we'll be checking). Then leave a comment with the email address you signed up with.
Extra Entry
Spread the love by tweeting this giveaway and leave the link to your tweet in a comment. Why not follow me and Matilda Jane on Twitter if you're over there anyway. :)Tweeting can be done daily, each tweet an extra entry. You can even copy and paste my tweet if you'd like: Spread the Love! #WIN 3 dresses from @MatildaJane435 : one for your little girl, 2 to gift http://goo.gl/fb/mMYdj #giveaway @katydidandkid

You will have until Monday December 12th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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. Good Luck!!

Elf Magic

2011-12-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

Our house elf is back for year number two, and we've been eager to see what antics and Elf-Capades he'll be up to this year.

That's Martin above, hiding in Jude's stocking. He's visiting from the North Pole until Christmas eve. He arrived just as the clock struck midnight on December 1st, and has made himself quite at home once again.

In that ordinary-looking suitcase is everything he needs to sprinkle some elf magic around the house.

He brought his passport, just to make things more official, and took up residence near the kids' small tree. He has everything he needs to make our December fun, including a bed and wardrobe changes.

Martin has brought lots of cheer so far, filling the Christmas Countdown Calendar with goodies

coloring pictures for Soren at night and leaving them at his place setting for the morning

and even bringing along a gift or two in his green sack.

But his antics are most charming, like sleeping in the freezer (reminds him of the North Pole) and taking rides on our ceiling fan.

He likes to play and get into things at night, even taking a bite out of our gingerbread house last night. Hmmm, I wonder what he's up to now as the kids are napping and I'm typing?

Each night, Soren gives Martin a saltine cracker and ice water, both of which remind him of home (the cracker is crunchy like snow, and the ice water is, well, icy).

We get Martin's pajamas on, then Soren sprinkles him with "snow" to make the magic happen.

Stay tuned for more adventures with Martin, our house elf, all month long! He'll be leaving early on Christmas eve to help Santa deliver toys, but until then, there's sure to be some Elf-Capades in our house.

Songs from the Baobab

2011-12-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

One of my goals as a parent is to raise "children of the world" who will be versed in different cultures and curious about other peoples and countries. While world travel is just a figment of my imagination at this time, one day Chris and I would love to take the boys overseas for some real-life adventures.

Until then, we'll settle for books and music to quell our wanderlust. I like having global music playing softly in the background of our home, so a recent book and music combo, Songs from the Baobab was a welcome addition.

Filled with soothing African lullabys, Songs from the Baobab is a nice and simple way to calm children while exposing them to a different culture. Sung in 11 different languages, the CD includes 29 songs that span 10 different countries from Central and West Africa.

Each lullaby tells a story and is sung by people of all ages and sexes. The accompanying book, which is wonderfully illustrated (though a little intense for young children, as my 3 year old was apprehensive about some of the imagery and dark colors), helps listeners understand the main idea and lyrics to each song.

The rhythms and vocals of each song are so different from what Soren is used to with school and home songs that we sing, making Songs from the Baobab a refreshing change to our family's musical canon.

I really enjoy listening to Songs from the Baobab, even alone in the living room, though I do find the rhythm of some songs to be a bit too pulsing and upbeat to be considered lullabys in my book. But to each her own! Overall, it's a wonderful musical, cultural, and literary experience.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of Songs from the Baobab.

Caldecott Favorites from Scholastic Storybook Treasures

2011-12-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Once again, Scholastic Storybook Treasures has released more of our favorite stories on DVD, this time the Caldecott Favorites featuring The Snowy Day.

The Snowy Day is obviously appropriate for this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly the Northeast where we live. Soren likes the story The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and I adore the simple yet bold illustrations. I love that it's come to life in this animated DVD.

Included are more Caldecott-winning stories, like Bear Snores On (another favorite book in our house), Make Way for Ducklings, Antarctic Antics and more. The stories are skillfully narrated by readers like John Lithgow, Laura Dern, and others.

As usual with Scholastic Storybook Treasures, I wholly endorse this DVD set, which would be perfect for gift-giving. It not only provides hours of entertainment for little ones (and big ones like me!), but it fosters reading, especially when the reading feature (like closed captioning) is on, and enhances the enjoyment of kids' favorite stories.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this DVD.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Love

2011-11-30T07:00:00.004-05:00

Boy oh boy, do I love this boy!

Seriously, I just can't get enough of this baby. He's got the smooch marks to prove it.

Scrap the Cookie Swap: Host a Chex Party Mix-Change {Giveaway}

2011-11-29T16:09:00.002-05:00

Forget the cookies, to me and my salt-tooth, the go-to holiday snack is Chex Mix. My mom has made it yearly for us since I was scuffing around in Strawberry Shortcake slippers, and it's something my brothers and I look forward to every year. So much so that I couldn't wait until the holidays and made some last week.

Why not try a Chex Party Mix-Change instead of or in addition to a cookie exchange?

Though I'm usually creative in the kitchen, I completely neglected to realize that Chex Mix can be so versatile. I'm used to the traditional, savory blend of Chex, pretzels and nuts, though I recently made some Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix which was sweet and delicious with Chex and roasted pecans.

And it couldn't have been easier to make, even with a preschooler, who was quite patient for the final result.

You can find a lot of recipes on the back of Chex boxes, including the PB and Chocolate Blast--yum!

Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix is big on taste but little on ingredients (read: easy!). Here's what I used:

You can find the ingredients and recipe HERE. The smell of it baking in the oven is intoxicating!

Plus you can even make Chex Mix recipes in the microwave in 15 minutes or less!

Packaged in cute little red take-out containers, Chex Party Mix would make great gifts for teachers, neighbors, or really anyone you'd like to give a little sweetness to.

The Chex Party Mix-Change website is a great resource for recipes, printable labels and other packaging ideas too.

WIN IT!

Would you like to host your own Chex Party Mix-Change? One lucky reader will win

A Chex Party Mix-Change Package

(includes 2 boxes of Chex Mix, 5 Featured Chex Mix recipes,

10 red takeout containers, and a $20 Gift card to buy supplies)

To Enter
Visit Chex Party Mix-Change and leave a comment about the recipe that you'd most like to try AND how you'd package it for gift giving.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
~Subscribe to my updates
~If you're a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
~If you're a Fan of Chex's on Facebook, let me know
~Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and leave me the link

~Follow @katydidandkid 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: Scrap the Cookie Exchange! #WIN Chex Mix ingredients for a #ChexPartyMixChange http://goo.gl/fb/OhGKC @Katydidandkid #Giveaway #MyBlogSpark

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 December 12th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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: The Chex Party Mix-Change product, information, and giveaway have been provided by Chex through MyBlogSpark.

Sweet Beginnings

2011-11-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

Like many Americans, I succumbed to the allure of decorating the house for Christmas as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers were put in the fridge. To be fair, it's just easier to decorate over a long holiday weekend with Chris off from work rather than trying to cram things into a typical Saturday or evening.

Actually, things started earlier last week, when we pulled out the Christmas books, which inspired Soren to want to create a gingerbread house (I'm specifically referring to Gingerbread Mouse, a sweet book he's currently obsessed with).

Despite being a Martha Stewart-o-phile, I know my limits. No homemade ginger bread here, just a kit picked up at the grocery store.

He really enjoyed the process, including sampling the candy. I piped on the icing, and he added the bling.

In the end it didn't look too bad, though a smaller piping tool would have been more helpful. However, I didn't entirely read the directions and the roof was slipping off as we were adding candy. Oops!

Soren has already asked about building another, but we'll see. It kept him busy for a while, so it might be a nice diversion on a rainy day.

Have you started decorating for the holidays yet?

How I Pause Life for a Moment

2011-11-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

As mama to two boys, aged 3 and 5 months, I certainly wish their was an actual "pause" button for my time with them; not just because they grow up so fast, but because there are times when I feel like things are spinning out of control and I need to slow down or stop...

Want to read the rest? I'm guest posting over at JDaniel4's Mom's blog today, where I'm reflecting on how I slow down and Pause Life for A Moment. Definitely something to think about this time of year!

Thankful

2011-11-24T08:33:00.001-05:00

Wishing you a Thanksgiving full of deliciousness, companionship, and gratitude. I certainly have so much to be thankful for this year, and will be reflecting upon it today with my family.

Enjoy your day and yummy treats!

First Meal

2011-11-23T18:31:00.001-05:00

I've been in no hurry to start solid foods with my little JuJuBee. However, at nearly 5 months old, Jude has been eagerly watching us when we eat, so it seemed as if he was ready to try some foods of his own.

Last night, I pumped some milk (ugh, I forgot how much I hate pumping) and mixed in a bit of rice cereal for his first meal. And boy, did that kid go to town!

He eagerly lapped up that watery cereal and surprised me with how easily he was able to take it in. When Soren first had rice cereal, it probably took no less than a week for him to manage to keep it in his mouth, rather than push it out with his tongue.

Soren's first taste of rice cereal, 2008

I was amazed that Jude seemed to understand the technique from the get-go.

In fact, he was really interested in the spoon, and was even holding it himself and putting it into his mouth.

Lest you think I'm bragging that my kid is somehow going to be a winner of a James Beard award, think again. It's more that for once I feel like I made the right decision as a parent; I followed Jude's lead and readiness in starting foods.

I considered waiting a minimum of 6 months, but it just seemed like the right time. How fitting, that our biggest dinner-day of the year in the US is tomorrow. Not that he'll be dining on any of it though.

On that note, I wish my American readers a very warm and filling Thanksgiving! (PS, I know that photo is kind of offensive. But Soren just loved that he made all that in school, though he does think it's a pilgrim outfit.)

#CraftAndTell with @Elmers and X-Acto {Plus Giveaway}

2011-11-22T20:53:00.002-05:00

This weekend, our little "mom's night out" group met at my house, where I hosted a crafty soiree complete with loads of Elmer's and X-Acto products.

I've worked with Elmer's products in the past, not just here at Katydid and Kid, but in my pre-kid days teaching and making art. Their products never disappoint, whether it's their many varieties of adhesives or their paper goods.

So naturally I was super excited when I was contacted about the chance to host a get-together using Elmer's and X-Acto products, and that the guests would be able to take some home too!

I nearly fell over when the Fed Ex man brought this huge, heavy box to the back door.

It was filled to the brim with everything one would need to create something pretty amazing (and maybe some things that were just ho-hum too).

I love the punched-out details on the box, like the Elmer's and X-Acto names and a silhouette of their signature products.

I'm a sucker for details and extra effort.

Back to the craft supplies: For the Moms' Night, I thought it would be great to create some Christmas Countdown Calendars, or Advent Calendars for those of you who are more religious.

Each participant received a selection of Elmer's/X-Acto signature items, including a Retractable X-Acto Knife, Craft Glue Stick, Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Glue Dots, and a Bi-Fold Foam Board.

There were other supplies to share as well, like Tacky Glue, 2 Rotary Cutters, Round X-Acto cutters,

Decorative Scissors, Paint Pens and Gel Pens. It was pretty incredible, having so many great supplies on hand.

We moms brought along Christmas papers, stickers, ribbon and other items to decorate our calendars.

Then we got to work:

I was regretting having such a small kitchen and small kitchen table, but we managed to have enough room to create our calendars.

We used the Elmer's Mini Bi-Fold Foam Board as a backing for the calendar, and covered them with wrapping paper or decorative scrapbook paper using a glue stick.

The Retractable X-Acto Knives came in handy for trimming the paper from the edges of the foam boards.

And the Rotary Cutter was great for making quick work of all those little 2"x2" paper squares for the box tops.

Once we had our mini boxes folded (I got them from Uline.com), we glued the paper squares with glue sticks to the top of the boxes. I added a decorative band around my boxes too, cut with the Decorative Scissors.

When the boxes were decorated, we arranged them on our foam boards.

Once we were satisfied with our pattern, we glued the boxes down with Tacky Glue.

I cut out and my numbers from paper earlier that day, then glued them onto the boxes with Glue Spots. However that evening, the ladies and I we simply wrote the numbers on the boxes with Paint Markers in order to save time.

To adhere to the board, we added Tacky Glue

then made sure the boxes lined up. I decided to mix up my numbers, rather than arrange them in numerical order.

Once our boxes were glued down, we adhered a wide ribbon on the back for hanging using Tacky Glue or Glue Spots.

Here are some of the other calendars from the group:

We moms had a great time trying out so many amazing Elmer's products, all while relaxing during our night out. And I know our kids are going to love these too, come December. I plan on filling the boxes with little ornaments, candies, and fun things for us to do all month, which I wrote on paper.

Phew, what a post! Now here's my final result:

Since you've hung in here all this way, I have a little reward for two of you!

WIN IT!

TWO Lucky readers will each win their own Elmer's Craft & Tell party kit!
Each kit includes:

3 X-ACTO Retract-a-Blade knives
3 CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Sticks
3 CraftBond Tape Runners
3 Mini Bi-fold 9x12 Foam Board packs
1 Painters Markers pack
1 X-ACTO Decorative Edge Scissors pack
1 Circle Cutter
1 X-ACTO Self-Healing Mat
1 Glue Dots pack
2 Photo Corners packs (various colors)
A Gel Pens pack
Tacky Glue bottle

To Enter
Visit Elmer's and leave a comment here about something you'd make from their website with this kit.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
~Subscribe to my updates
~If you're a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
~If you're a Fan of Elmer's on Facebook, let me know
~Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and leave me the link
~Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
~Follow @Elmers on Twitter and leave me your Twitter handle in the comment
~Follow @katydidandkid 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 amazing assortment of @Elmers products for a #CraftAndTell party (2 Winners) http://goo.gl/fb/Rvf7T @Katydidandkid #Giveaway

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 December 11th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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.

Rwanda Path to Peace at Macy's

2011-11-22T11:08:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving and the holiday season are often a time of reflection and giving. My email inbox is filled with so many charitable causes reminding me of giving opportunities this time of year. The hard part is choosing whom to give to!

Macy's is making it really easy to both support a worthy cause and check off gifts from your Christmas list. They've started an initiative to help Rwandan artisans in their Rwanda Path to Peace campaign, where they're selling gorgeous baskets to help support Rwandan women.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably heard of the Rwandan genocide from 1994, where 1 million+ Rwandan population were murdered within 100 days, leaving the percentage of female Rwandans at 70%. Rwanda Path to Peace is a way of revitalizing the economy and spirit of the Rwandan people through their traditional crafts, created by women.

The beautiful Rwandan basket I was sent looks lovely in our home, and will make a lovely, meaningful centerpiece on our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. Made of naturally dyed sisal coil-sewn over bundled sweetgrass, each basket comes with a certificate of authenticity and the knowledge that you are helping rebuild a war-torn nation.

I like that Macy's is not just bringing attention to the situation in Rwanda, but supporting the livlihood of its women and maintaining their artistic traditions, all while bringing these beautiful crafts into their stores and eventually, American homes.

You can find more information on Rwanda Path to Peace HERE, as well as purchase these lovely baskets in Macy's stores or online.
Disclosure: I received a basket for review via Everywhere Society.

Creativity in a Book: New Relases from KLUTZ {Giveaway--2 Winners}

2011-11-22T10:04:00.001-05:00

I can't get enough of the awesomesauce books/art activities from KLUTZ. One of my favorite things about Soren getting older is that he's more capable of participating in and enjoying art making. And KLUTZ books are a great way to jazz up the usual watercolors and crayons that seem to dominate our kitchen table.

Recently we had a chance to check out some of their latest offerings: Stamp Art

and Drawing the DC Universe.

Because Soren has just happened upon the appeal of stamps, thanks to both a set of alphabet stamps I picked up and his discovery of stamping plastic spider rings into play dough, he was eager to try out Stamp Art.

Stamp Art makes stamping simpler -- and more creative -- than ever. Stick the included shapes on the see-through acrylic block to create your own one-of-a-kind stamp design. Full of inspirational artwork and instruction, this stamp-right-in-it book shows how to create animals, flowers, houses, aliens... anything you can dream up.

Stamp Art is a wonderful, easy-to-use book that comes with colored pencils and shapes that you stick onto an acrylic block to create one-of-a-kind stamps.

There are tips for arranging the shapes to create animals and other images, but I like that the book gives kids plenty of room for their own creative inventions.

Though recommended for ages 8 and up, Stamp Art was still appealing to my 3 year old. I look forward to watching him grown into it.

Drawing the DC Universe, on the other hand, is too advanced for my preschooler (it's for ages 8+). However that didn't stop him from poring over the book, particularly because he's entered his superhero phase.

It's great for teaching kids how to draw their favorite superheros. As an art teacher, I actually recommend tracing for helping kids practice drawing lines. I loved doing it as a kid, and think it helped me develop my drawing skills, as long as I had plenty of room for free drawing too.

Draw the DC Universe is a complete how-to-draw package, jammed with expert tips and techniques, tons of practice space, and of course, a universe of DC heroes and villains. The draw-right-in-it book comes with everything you need: a sketching pencil, a drawing marker, artist’s pencils in six colors, a big block eraser to fight crimes against the page, stencils, and translucent overlays scattered throughout for can’t-fail tracing activities.

This video shows you more about how the book works:

KLUTZ books always make great gifts, and from now until December 31st, you can get 20% off your entire order with the coupon code KLUTZ4U (promo cannot be combined with other offers).

WIN IT!

Two lucky readers will each win

A Copy of Stamp Art and
Drawing the DC Universe

To Enter
Visit KLUTZ and leave a comment with your favorite book and who these books would be for if you won.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
~Subscribe to my updates
~If you're a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
~If you're a Fan of KLUTZ on Facebook, let me know
~Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and leave me the link
~Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
~Follow @katydidandkid 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 KLUTZ's Drawing the DC Universe and Stamp Art (2 Winners) http://goo.gl/fb/ECx80 @Katydidandkid #Giveaway

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 December 7th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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 copies of both books for review purposes.

Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage Playset

2011-11-12T12:06:00.001-05:00

This is no joke. It seems like you give any inanimate object a personality, and suddenly Soren claims it as his new best friends.

This morning at the farmers' market, he saw these brussels sprouts. After telling him that daddy likes them (mommy's not a big fan), he wanted to buy some for Chris, which I thought was so sweet.

When we got home, I unpacked our haul, including the sprouts and a large cabbage, which I said was the mommy or daddy to the sprouts. What commenced was about 20 minutes of focused play, a rarity on a Saturday morning in our house.

He's also using the paper park that we made yesterday on a visit to my former place of employment, a local art museum, which recently reopened after a major renovation.

This just goes to show me that I never know where or when imagination will strike.

Hope your weekend is filled with unexpected finds too!

Global Gifts from NOVICA {Giveaway}

2011-11-12T10:31:00.004-05:00

This is my third time working with NOVICA, that amazing e-tailer dedicated to bringing global goods to our homes while making sure that artisans are fairly paid and fairly treated. I'm excited to highlight some of their unique gifts and accessories for the upcoming holiday season.

Gorgeous wool belt from Peru

I'm a big accessory junkie, so naturally I'm drawn to the women's scarves. I've had my eye on this gorgeous Flower Garden Wool Shawl made in India by Sandeep Malhotra (how cool that you actually know the artisans' names?), and ended up purchasing it, since last year's scarf is looking rather tattered.

I really admire this gorgeous wool table runner, by Andean artisan Mariana Genit, which would look amazing on a Thanksgiving table.

This Brass Beaded Choker fron Thaland is tribal yet elegant too.

There are plenty of men's accessories too, like handmade walking sticks, which would be a great gift for outdoorsy guys not into the typical golf and fishing paraphernalia.

Not only does NOVICA offer great gift ideas, but they've recently launched NOVICA Live, which allows people like you and me to become NOVICA consultants.

Starter kits are only $199 and have over $400 worth of samples and $150 in business materials. There are a lot of promotions going on for our early consultants, including anyone that becomes a Director this year will go to Bali next year. How awesome would that be, living your very own Eat, Pray, Love fantasy.

WIN IT!

Eager to do some holiday shopping from around the world? NOVICA is generously offering one lucky reader

A $50 Gift Certificate

To Enter
Visit NOVICA and leave a comment naming your favorite item or what you'd spend the gift certificate on.

Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
~Subscribe to my updates
~If you're a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
~If you're a Fan of NOVICA on Facebook, let me know
~Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and leave me the link
~Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
~Follow @NOVICA on Twitter
~Follow @katydidandkid 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 $50 Gift Certificate to @NOVICA for gorgeous, global, fairly-traded gifts http://goo.gl/fb/jwUnM @Katydidandkid #Giveaway

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 November 23th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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 gift certificate to NOVICA to use toward an item of my choice for review purposes.

The Beginnings of Thankfulness

2011-11-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

Ushered in by the winds and falling leaves, November evokes a desire to cozy up inside and look inward, which is a natural starting point to reflecting on thankfulness and blessings in our lives.

For years, I've wanted to create a photo wall with images not just of family, but of inspirational people. I've finally carved an area out of a nook in our living room, which used to house what the neighbor kids called "ninja writing."

It's actually a Japanese scroll with what we think is the sentiment of "do your best." At the time we were thinking of creating a Tokonoma of sorts (a Japanese home alcove used for flowers and scrolls). While we like the calligraphy, I was just ready to move it elsewhere in the house.

So one morning while Soren was at preschool, I pulled out all of our photos and a hodge-podge of picture frames I had on hand, ready to assemble a collage of pictures.

Some of the more obvious ones include our wedding photos and baby pictures, but I also added a silhouette of Soren I made a few years ago.

So I picked out some of my favorite photos, popped them in the frames, and arranged them on the floor until I found a design I liked. Then I transferred it onto the wall. One easy way is to lay down butcher paper, lay the frames on it and trace them, then tape the paper to the wall. But I was lazy and just eyeballed it, enjoying the imperfection of not lining everything up perfectly.

This is just the beginnings of a thankfulness corner, which was suggested by Chris. He even came up with the idea of making it sort of Mexican or Indian folk-artsy with the Christmas lights (actually clearance patio lights from Target).

I'd like to sew a banner that says "thankful" and add it to the wall, as well as do some sort of interactive thankfulness bowl or branch, where we could add items that we're grateful for on slips of paper or the like. I'll keep you posted.

We're hoping it will be an easy and meaningful way for Soren and us to nourish a sense of gratitude in our lives, particularly in the weeks preceding Thanksgiving.

Infantino Sync Comfort Wrap Baby Carrier

2011-11-10T09:51:00.005-05:00

As an Infantino Test Drive mom with a fondness for babywearing, I was eager to try out the new Infantino Sync baby carrier, sort of a hybrid between a wrap and a sling.

With a baby and a preschooler in my care, babywearing is not just a great way for me to bond with Jude, but crucial for managing life with two kids. While my older son was not fond of slings or wraps, Jude really loves being snuggled up against me, especially when we're out and about.

Here he is in my sling, which he's since outgrown in the infant hold. Babywearing has been a great way for me to make sure he gets his naps during times when we aren't at home.

I have a small collection of baby carriers that I use a lot, including upright ones (Baby Bjorn and Ergo), as well as a stretchy wrap. I like the versatility of so many options, especially for accommodating both my comfort and my baby's, depending on the day.

That said, I was eager to try out Infantino's Sync carrier. Despite being a little reluctant to figure out how to use it (I'm always that way with new baby carriers, since I often fumble about trying to juggle the baby and read or watch instructions), I'm really pleased with it thus far in the 3 positions I've tried (infant, front, hip).

What I like about the Sync Carrier:

4 carrying positions in one baby carrier (infant, front, hip and back)
Can be used with infants and toddlers
Uses a buckle, unlike most wraps, which makes it feel more secure and makes it easier to put on and keep in the right place. Also great for supporting the lower back.
Uses both a non-stretchy cotton and a stretchy material, which is a perfect blend of give (for tightening the carrier to you and your baby) and retaining the fit. Also helps distribute weight evenly.
Very reasonably priced, at around $35
Fits all body types
Lightweight and easy to take with you
Machine washable

What I didn't like:

While the pretty pattern is appealing to me, I'm not sure many dads would want to wear such a flashy design. They'd probably appreciate a basic black rather than a pattern.
The belt buckle can be slightly tricky to connect, being that it's located on your back. Not a big deal though, just takes a few extra seconds.
The stretchy material can ever-so-slightly loosen over the time when you're carrying baby, requiring you to retie the ends. This is the case with other wrap carriers that use knit fabric too.
Shoulder panels sometimes bunch up, especially if reaching overhead while wearing the carrier. I simply have to spread them out again.
Back carry position requires help from another person, which can be tricky when home alone with kids.
Also, I'm a bit wary of carrying a baby/child on my back with a stretchy fabric. It just makes me a little nervous, that it would "give".

In addition to all the above-mentioned great things about the carrier, Infantino has really made it easy to understand how to use the Sync both efficiently and safely. The video below was of tremendous help for explaining how to wear it and for making me feel confident about doing so.
There are also detailed instructions on how to use all 4 carrying positions that come with the Sync as well as on the Infantino website.

Overall, I'm looking forward to using the Sync with Jude as he grows up. It's a great addition to my babywearing trousseau. You can purchase the Sync brick-and-mortar stores in your area as well as at Amazon.com.

You can keep up with Infantino on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter too.
Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.

Where Are You Coming From?

2011-11-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

Every so often, usually at the request of a PR rep, I decide to look at my statistics via Site Meter. This evening, expecting an embarrassingly disappointing number, I clicked on the stat link at the bottom of my blog, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the visitors just keep increasing.

Yay for you! Thanks so much!

But seriously, where are you coming from? Why are you reading? I'm not being accusative, just curious. Posting has been pretty sparse around here as of late, new baby, preschooler, freak snowstorms with internet outages, yada yada yada.

If you're a new or shy or reluctant-to-comment visitor, go on and leave me a comment letting me know how you came across this humble little blog. I'd love to hear from you (and promise not to pester you! Though also as of late, I've been terrible responding to comments, though I do try!).

Yet Another Sleep Post

2011-11-08T19:53:00.001-05:00

Forgive me for having nothing but sleep on the brain lately. It's just, well, so elusive, for everyone in the family, and like a wanderer in the desert, I'm feeling a bit hopeless as to finding refreshment again (those mirages, like sleep, really mess with one's mind).

Zombies

For a few nights last week, Soren was sleeping a bit better, but now because of the time change, he's waking up at 4am instead of five. Ye gads! Jude on the other hand, wants to call it a day at 3:30pm, since his naps have been so short (can you even call 30 minutes a nap?), that he's exhausted by dinnertime. Of course he then wants to party at 3am, in addition to his regularly-spaced, 2 hour nighttime wakings. And I SO dread that mid-night diaper change, which always excitedly wakes him up.

So there's nothing revelatory about this post, other than posting for posterity (I mean, the blog is the kids' baby book, right?). Ignoring the darkish circles under my eyes and the fact that it took me a few minutes to figure out what in the world I'm wearing in that photo (turns out it's Chris' jacket, desperately grabbed from the closet in hopes of getting warm without having to leave the chaos of downstairs to retrieve more proper attire).

Ok, now I'm rambling. That's just my brain on the dregs of last night's sleep. I just realized it's 7:45pm, past my bedtime! I'm livin' on the edge here tonight, ladies and gentlemen! Forgive the rambles!! And all the exclamation points!!!

Natural Sleep Sacks for Babies by Merino Kids

2011-11-08T16:30:00.001-05:00

Living in an old (read: drafty) house has its drawbacks, particularly in winter and particularly with young children. I'm constantly worrying about whether or not they have on enough layers, and if their hands are too chilly.

With Jude, it's crucial that he's comfortable, especially at night. Sleep sacks are a great addition to his nighttime wardrobe, because as you probably know, blankets are a no-no for babies. Not only do they kick them off while sleeping, but they can get tangled in them or be wedged up against them, causing suffocation.

Please mom, keep me warm!

While I have used a variety of cotton and fleece sacks for both boys, I do find that the fleece ones sometimes make the boys too hot, evidenced by the sweaty feet that I come upon during midnight diaper changes. However I really love the wool/cotton blend of the luxurious Merino sleep sacks from Merino Kids.

These sleep sacks accommodate infants and babies up to 24 months old, so one need not worry about buying multiple sacks to keep up with growth spurts.

Designed to be used in room temperatures of 64-75 degrees, the Merino Sleep Sleep Sack helps keep babies comfy without overheating. According to the Merino Kids site, the Merino Sleep Sack

"captures and circulates air to insulate your baby when the room temperature falls, and releases excess body heat and moisture as the room temperature rises, to create the perfect safe micro-climate around their body."

The 100% natural fabrics--a cotton outer fabric and wool liner--are so soft. Even the wool, which can sometimes be scratchy, was so silky, but then again Merino wool is premium stuff and is even allergy-safe. A friend who felt it said she never would have guessed it was wool! The fabrics aren't fussy either, in fact I needed to spot clean a poopy stain and the fabric worked quite well in handling a cleaning.

Wool interior lining in a classy beige color.

In addition to its comfort properties, the Merino Sleep Sack is also extremely easy to put on babies. The entire sack zips open, so you don't have to maneuver a squirmy baby into the sack.

You just slip one arm into one armhole, zip up the sack, then snap the other armhole--simple! There are even snaps under the arms that allow you to make the sack more snug for smaller and younger babies. Even the quality and durability of the zipper, seen below, is top notch.

Did I mention that I love the colors? The snappy French Navy striped sack that Jude is wearing is so unlike most of the pastel-y baby items you come across. I kind of don't want him to grow out of it, though it won't be anytime soon.

One other brilliant feature is the openings in front and back for threading a car seat or stroller belt into, allowing you to use the sleep sack on the go and not just in the crib.

The opening for the safety belt is hidden under the perpendicular flap of fabric shown above

While the Merino Sleep Sack from Merino Kids is a bit pricey ($119), the quality of this sleep sack is really incredible. And considering that you won't have to buy multiple sacks for all of a baby's size ranges, you really are getting a good deal. I imagine that the Merino Sleep sack would also fare well with subsequent additions to the family too.
Disclosure: I received a sample Merino Sleep sack from Merino Kids for review purposes. All opinions are my own, of course!

Dr. Drip Single Serve Coffee

2011-11-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, I'm a coffee fiend, and by golly it's been rough (mostly) forgoing that magical elixir while nursing baby Jude. I'm not sure it really affects him, but I don't want to take my chances.

Though it is rough to stand by and watch Chris enjoy an entire cup in the mornings, I have found some coffee pleasure in decaf. In addition to my new-found coffeehouse drink, The Decaf Americano, I recently got to try out some easy-to-brew Decaf Energizer coffee from Dr. Drip Coffee.

It's a unique concept, which is both convenient and earth-friendly. All the packaging is compostable, biodegradable or recyclable, and within each small packet lies one perfect cup of coffee.

Here's how it works: You open the package and tear off the top tab of the filter.

Then you pop open the cardboard filter to make a little basket for the water to fill up the grounds

Prop the filter over your favorite or not-so-favorite mug

Then pour boiling water over the grounds, being careful not to fill it to quickly.

Once the water drips through, you're ready to enjoy your joe.

Delicious! Even for decaf.

Dr. Drip's single serve coffee packets are great for taking along with you (like to my parents', the house of freeze dried coffee, ick!) or for keeping in the pantry for when you just want one cup.

My only qualm with the product was the lack of any photographic representation of what the brewing contraption looks like on the package. When I was contacted about the product, my first response was "what the heck is it?". Though I was able to find a video on their website which explained how it worked.

Now that I've tried it, I'm impressed and would like to buy more in the future. Hopefully Dr. Drip will eventually make its way into stores, since the cost of one box plus shipping is nearly fifteen bucks, a bit of a splurge even for my beloved coffee. But it's worth it for a superior brew on the go.
Disclosure: I received samples of Dr. Drip Energizing Decaf for review purposes.

All Together: Singing in the Kitchen {Giveaway}

2011-11-02T19:42:00.002-04:00

Though we enjoy music as much as anybody, Chris and I are musically challenged. Save for a few piano lessons when I was 12, I have no musical abilities. But that doesn't mean I don't like to sing, and try and do it all the time at home.

I believe that music not only affects the atmosphere of one's home, but that it fosters reading in children. After all, reading is often a sing-songy activity for little ones anyway.

When the new book, All Together: Singing in the Kitchen arrived on our doorstep last week, I was eager to delve into a subject that I have no experience with--music.

Written by The Nields sisters, Nerissa and Katryna, both professional singers/musicians as well as parents, All Together is an encouraging, inspiring book about incorporating music into our daily lives, even amidst the exuberance and chaos of parenting young children.

The Nields Sisters

The book is very conversationally written, and since the sisters each have children of their own, they know from experience how challenging it can be to pull out a guitar for a round of Kumbaya (or in their case, something a little more interesting). Plus it comes with a CD of the Nields singing their canon of songs.

The Nields talking about growing up in a musical family

Rather than making music into a big production, they encourage lots of singing--while doing dishes, cleaning up toys, cooking, etc. Basically, music can manifest itself at any opportunity. I love their idea of compiling a family "canon" of songs. This is something I am working on mentally at the moment, trying to list some of our favorite tunes, both ones that we like and ones that our parents sang to us. I relish the thought of passing down some old and new songs to my sons, and to my (hopefully) grandkids.

Much of The Nields' ideas in the book come from their popular HooteNanny music classes geared toward kids and their caregivers. Techniques like creating homemade instruments, writing songs (even just silly on -the-spot ones) and musical games and play. There's even some basic instructions for taking up a guitar and learning to play it, though frankly that scares me a bit. :)

I'm so glad this book made its way into our home. I really think it's changed how I view music in this family. Time to turn off Pandora, and loosen up those vocal chords!

WIN IT!

Two lucky readers will each win a copy of

All Together: Singing in the Kitchen

To Enter
Visit Shambhala Publications and tell me why you'd like to win this book or which chapter in All Together sounds really appealing to you.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
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Share this post on your Facebook page and leave the link (I'd love it if you tagged me or the sponsor in your post)
Follow @katydidandkid 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 The Nields' All Together: Singing in the Kitchen book http://goo.gl/fb/ivSFD @KatydidandKid #Giveaway

US mailing addresses only. One entry per household.
You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be 16considered). You will have until Wednesday November 16th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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 All Together: Singing in the Kitchen or review purposes.

Wordless Wednesday: Costume-itus

2011-11-02T06:58:00.001-04:00

So much for one great shot of Jude's first Halloween costume.

I think it was more of camera-itus than an allergy to the costume, since he was perfectly fine when I picked him up (though it made it difficult to take a photo). Thanks to Aunt Izabela for gifting the sweet puppy costume to Jude!

2011 Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

2011-11-02T06:01:00.000-04:00

Fresh off of Halloween, all the shops and online retailers seem to be focused on Christmas. And while I don't tend to shop and craft until December, there's one item that I do make sure to get prior to Thanksgiving just to be safe: Christmas cards.

I've ordered Christmas Photo Cards from Shutterfly in the past and have never been disappointed. Even Jude's birth announcements came from Shutterfly and were really lovely.

Some of my favorite holiday cards from the 2011 season include the following:

I really love the doodly quality of the above card; it certainly picks up on my artistic leanings, yet it's also kid-friendly in its subject matter.

There are so many stylish designs with so many sentiments, whether greetings for Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, or simply the season. It's going to be a hard choice!

Shutterfly also has you covered with photo gifts of all kinds, including calendars which make a great present for grandparents--and all at great prices. Plus photos are really easy to upload and edit using Shutterfly's online software. The hardest part is just getting a great photo without squirming kids or pets!
Disclosure: I received 25 free Shutterfly photo cards for participating in their holiday campaign. All opinions are my own.

Jude: Now in Technicolor

2011-11-01T07:56:00.001-04:00

Presenting the world's happiest baby, currently suffering with the snurgles of a cold. Happy November!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T14:12:00.002-04:00

It doesn't quite feel like Halloween around here, given what showed up over the weekend:

It sent chills down a lot of folks' spines here in the Northeast.

The snow was actually quite a treat, and kept a certain 3 year old busy all weekend long, making it an awesome weekend for parents too. Heavy, wet snow on power lines caused lots of friends to lose power all weekend (some are still waiting for it to come back on), but thankfully we just lost our internet connection.

Our trick or treat night seems like ages ago--last Thursday (odd, I know)--so Halloween is pretty much over for us.

But I hope you have a fun one with your kiddos (or not), wherever you are.

A Nightmare on Our Street

2011-10-25T08:28:00.001-04:00

Just in time for Halloween, it seems as if Freddy Kruger has taken up residence in our basement. In case you haven't seen the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street, let me summarize: creepy, dead ex-janitor terrorizes teens in their dreams, making them unwilling to go to sleep, for fear succumbing to the razor-sharp knife/glove of Freddy Kruger.

All kidding aside, how does this translate to our house? We've been having major sleeping issues with Soren, who all of a sudden cannot go to sleep without one of his parents lying down with him each night. While there's nothing really wrong with that, and I know that 3 is an age where imaginations take off (which is both good and bad), it's challenging because it sometimes takes him an hour to drift off.

It's difficult for Chris and me, especially since Soren is so spirited and consuming of our own energy during waking hours, and now it's becoming that way at night. Once a formerly good sleeper, S has also been waking during the night, and waking for the day anywhere from 3:30am until 5:30. It is exhausting, especially coupled with Jude's nighttime wakings.

Lack of sleep unfortunately is an impetus for losing my head. I'm grumpier than my usual morning grumpiness and tend to lack ability to censor my emotions around S. Then I end up feeling guilty all day for snapping at him.

On a deeper level, I know this is a phase quite common to preschoolers who can't shut off their imaginations when the lights go out. And speaking of lights, we've had a parade of all kinds of night lights and flash lights to help transition our son into sleep. No good luck charms there. Mommy or daddy seems to be the security blanket of choice.

So until he outgrows this, I'm unsure what to do. I've tried having him sleep in the bed with me, though I get no sleep due to his thrashing about. I also find that his energy affects me, even at night, and I have trouble drifting off myself. I'm also concerned that allowing him to sleep in our bed might reinforce the idea that his room is scary.

On that subject, he's suddenly afraid of his room and bed, even during the day. I've tried asking him why, but he isn't specific about what bothers him. I'm thinking that Halloween decorations around town might be a cause, as he's both excited about and fearful of them (at least at night). I do try and spend non-sleeping time with him in his room, just to be comfortable there. Maybe it's just something that will pass on its own.

Has your preschooler been having nighttime issues? What have you done to soothe and help them?

Weekend Musings: Pre-Halloween Edition

2011-10-23T20:27:00.000-04:00

Boy, it's been a really hectic week, with Jude suffering through his first cold and possibly starting to get some teeth. Poor baby has just been having a rough time sleeping, and wanting to nurse all the time. But we did manage to do some fun things around here, like carving the pumpkin that Soren picked from the patch last week.

He drew the face, and I carefully cut it out, with much patience and strength. Who knew such a tiny pumpkin would be so unyielding to a steak knife?

Today, S and I went to an annual, pre-Halloween event at Chris' university. I threw on Soren's skeleton pajamas and we enjoyed lots of games and treats, courtesy of the college students.

I love that our town puts on so much for Halloween, especially if you go through the trouble of making or buying a costume only to be used once. We have activities all week, including a little fete at S's school, so S will get his fill of dressing up (my favorite part of Halloween, becoming someone else for a spell).

I'm still on the fence about dressing up, mostly due to the work of making even a simple costume. If I get some free time (um, what's that again?), I want to make a coffee filter collar and dress as a cutesy clown.

My plans of knitting a Yoda hat and Princess Leia hair were foiled, though S still wants to wear his Darth Vader costume. We'll see what happens...

Any pre-Halloween plans this week?

Jack-o-Lantern Wind Catcher {Tutorial}

2011-10-13T09:46:00.001-04:00

Trying to occupy a spirited 3 year old is rather difficult, especially with a baby in the house, but Chris and I do try to make time for some kind of art or creative play every day. And when it involves paint or messiness, it's a joyful activity for Soren. And it gets him to sit still for, oh, about 2 minutes.

Yesterday I revisited a craft I've made with preschoolers back when I was teaching art classes--a Jack-o-Lantern wind catcher.

Typically I've used paper plates to make the pumpkins, but since I don't normally have them on hand, I used cardstock (you could substitute another stiffer paper, even the inside of a cereal box). Here's what you'll need:

STEP ONE
Cut out your pumpkin shape from the paper, if not using paper plates, which are already round. Using painters' tape, make a face for the pumpkin by cutting out pieces of tape with scissors. Older kids would enjoy doing this part themselves.

STEP TWO
Break out the paints. I wanted to teach Soren about mixing colors, specifically red+yellow=orange, so I let him mix the two colors in a cup.

He thoroughly enjoyed the mixing part. We talked about what other things are the color "orange"--GG's cats, carrots, Jude's poop. The good stuff.

Have the child then paint their pumpkin. They can paint over the tape, as it will be peeled off when dry, revealing the face.

Set aside the pumpkins to dry, and maybe have a nice fall-themed snack like pumpkin seeds.

STEP THREE
When dry, have your child peel off the tape to reveal the pumpkin faces. This part can really be quite magical for young children.

STEP FOUR
Using the glue (I prefer glue stick with young kids), have your child cover the back of one pumpkin.

Then add some cut streamers along the bottom of the pumpkin face,

and "sandwich" them in between another pumpkin face.

STEP FIVE
Twist and curl a pipe cleaner for the stem, nestle it in between the two pumpkins at the top, and then have your child help you staple it to the wind catcher. It's ready for hanging!

Which one has the scarier face, boy or jack-o-lantern?

We hung one in our kitchen from the ceiling fan,

and one in the window for passers-by to admire.

I'm thinking they'll look nice hanging on the front porch on Halloween night. Maybe a coven of them, if we get time to make more.

Hope you make this easy craft with your wee ones. Enjoy!

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-12T10:48:00.001-04:00

We spent a lovely autumn day with Soren's preschool at a local pumpkin patch, complete with a hayride

pumpkin picking

a corn box to play in (probably S's favorite activity--he would have spent all day in there, digging and rolling around).

There was even this amazing combine-turned-sliding board that the kids loved.

And lots of hay bales and corn cribs to climb and out of to tire out the kiddos.

I love Pennsylvania in the Fall! How are you celebrating the season where you live?

Jude at 3 Months

2011-10-06T19:53:00.001-04:00

Well, I've made it though some of the hardest first weeks of a baby's life, and in general, living with Jude has been pretty easy.

Jude is a pleasant little fellow, a good sleeper, and I think he may have reddish hair like mine (pumps fist into the air). Ok, that's a pretty shallow thing to write, but since he looks almost identical to my husband, I was hoping for at least one thing similar to myself, other than his oh-so-pleasant temperament, of course.

Some other things that define Jude at 3 months:

He smiles A LOT, especially when mommy is around and singing. And he likes to have conversations with us (favorite sound is "ellll", fave songs are "Old MacDonald" and "Blackbird")
He sleeps deliciously long stretches at night, then will easily go back to sleep (unless mama decides to smile at him during a diaper change, then I'm done for)
He's able to hold his head up longer when carried
Still loves the sling and the upright carriers. He actually has never been on a stroller ride yet!
He's gotten better at being in his car seat, and mostly falls asleep on car rides, a far cry (pun intended) from a few weeks ago.
He loves baths, except for getting out into the cold air.
Still likes to be swaddled during sleep.
He enjoys looking at his toys, and so intently watches them, as seen below.

I so love this little guy, who has really restored my faith in myself as a mother. What a difference having an easy baby makes for one's self esteem as a parent! All the time, Chris and I think "wow, this is why people say you'll miss these days."

I can't wait to see what this month's changes are.

Fall Fun at the Count's Halloween #Spooktacular at Sesame Place

2011-10-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

Now that we're in the midst of my favorite time of year, my family has been keeping busy enjoying lots of fall activities like apple picking, pumpkin decorating, and of course a visit to Sesame Place for the Count's Halloween Spooktacular.

Sesame Place and its resident characters are all decked out for Halloween, with pumpkins and hay bales everywhere amongst the little kid-friendly rides and attractions.

Located just outside of Philadelphia in Langhorne, PA, Sesame Place is an easy drive from New Jersey, New York, and other mid-Atlantic states. We spent last Friday celebrating Zoe's birthday, as the park was open for a bonus day (it's now just open on weekends through October).

Soren enjoyed the not-so-scary Halloween atmosphere, which included trick-or-treating throughout the park. As parents, we were happy that the treats were actually quite healthy, like pretzels, mini bananas and juice.

We went on the usual rides and attractions, like the Nets course and Ernie's bouncy bed

but also enjoyed the seasonal attractions like the Count's Un-Haunted Castle maze, filled with not-so-spooky, interactive things like wonky mirrors

and buttons that kids can push to make sound effects. There's even a talking pumpkin, via video screen.

We also ventured twice into Abby Cadaby's Magical Halloween Maze, where we tried to find Abby's wand.

Soren was most interested in the dry ice smoke effects.

and the trick-or-treat station, with mini bananas.

As you can see above, the park is filled with lots of great fall photo opportunities.

I enjoyed seeing the pumpkins on display, painted by Season Pass members as well as the general public. How cute are the ones themed to Sesame Street characters?

Before we left for the day, we got to see Bert and Ernie dressed as their favorite birds, the pigeon and rubber ducky, respectively.

Sesame Place is a great destination not just in summer, but in fall. They're open weekends through the end of October, and maybe we'll see you there one of them!
Disclosure: As an ambassador for Sesame Place, I received a season pass for myself and my family.

Sam's Club Supports National Breast Cancer Awareness Month {Giveaway}

2011-10-05T13:08:00.057-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Sam's Club is supporting breast cancer education and research by featuring exclusive pink packaging on selected General Mills products.

For 5 years, General Mills has partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation to bring breast cancer support to local communities, and this year they are making their annual donation of $2 million to the foundation to advance breast cancer research and support education and community outreach projects.
When you purchase specially-marked General Mills products like Cheerios and Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies at your local Sam’s Club, you get to decide how half of that contribution will be donated by voting at PinkTogether.com from now until April 14, 2012.

General Mills’ donations will be divided between two important Komen programs: the Treatment and Assistance Program, which assists women in securing care they otherwise may not be able to afford, and Prevention Research, which helps unlock the keys to preventing breast cancer. Voting results will be announced on Mother’s Day 2012.

This is definitely a great and easy way to support an important cause. You can find more information about PinkTogether via their Facebook page, and you can keep up with Sam's Club via Facebook and Twitter.

WIN IT!

One lucky reader can start shopping for General Mills products using a

$25 Gift Card to Sam's Club

To Enter
Visit Sam's Club and leave a comment on the General Mills product you'd purchase.
Extra Entries (you must complete the first mandatory entry before doing the extras. Also, leave a separate comment for each one):

Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link (2 entries)
Subscribe to my updates
Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
If you're a Fan of Katydid and Kid on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
If you're a Fan of PinkTogether on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
If you're a Fan of Sam's Club on Facebook leave a comment letting me know
Share this post on your Facebook page and leave the link (I'd love it if you tagged me or the sponsor in your post)
Follow @SamsClub on Twitter (leave your Twitter handle in the comment)
Follow @katydidandkid 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 $25 Gift Certificate to @SamsClub to help support Breast Cancer research http://goo.gl/fb/X9yC9 @KatydidandKid #Giveaway #MyBlogSpark

US and Canadian mailing addresses only. One entry per household.
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 October 16th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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: The information and gift card(s) have been provided by Sam’s Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Wordless Wednesday: It's October!

2011-10-05T08:51:00.000-04:00

Yay for my favorite month, which is finally here! Bring on the pumpkins, cider and Halloween gear!

New Releases from Scholastic Storybook Treasures

2011-10-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

As non-cable-tv subscribers, I'm often looking for new, educational DVDs to entertain my 3 year old son. One source that I continually go to are DVDs from Scholastic Storybook Treasures, which compile some of our favorite books into video form.

September's releases, which we received and are enjoying, including Chrysanthemum and More Mouse Mayhem and the My First Collection Vol. 2 featuring Spoon.

Chrysanthemum is a cute story about a girl mouse named Chrysanthemum who doesn't like her long name, but eventually comes to appreciate it and develops self confidence through the experience.

Also on that DVD are other stories by writer/illustrator Kevin Henkes--Owen and Weekend with Wendel, also nice stories.

My First Collection Vol. 2 includes the title story Spoon, which was new to us, along with 12 other tales. The 3 disc DVD set also includes Dem Bones…and more sing-along stories which is really fun for the younger set with its catchy tunes, and That New Animal…and more stories about the new baby, which is perfectly timed for our family, since we just welcomed a baby in July.

My son especially liked Blueberries for Sal, which we've read before. Even though its an older title (published in 1949), its illustrations and story about the mischievous Sal are still appealing today.

I really like that Scholastic Storybook Treasures enhances reading while keeping kids entertained. I don't feel bad about letting my son watch these, since they reinforce themes and stories and are commercial-free, unlike cable tv.

Check out more Scholastic Storybook Treasures via their website or in some specialty stores like Barnes and Noble.
Disclosure: I received copies of these DVDs sets for review.

Phillies Phever

2011-10-03T15:29:00.000-04:00

As the wife, sister, and daughter in a family of Phillies fans, how could I not resist dressing up the boys in Phillies gear and taking a photo?

Well, maybe a dozen photos (that older boy just can't sit still!).

Come on Phils! We're hoping for another World Series appearance!

Halloween Crafty Fun with M&M's #MMsGetCorny #CBias

2011-10-03T15:07:00.004-04:00

As a member of Collective Bias, I had the opportunity to shop and try new M&M’s Candy Corn White Chocolate candies. I'll freely admit that I dislike traditional candy corn--mostly a texture thing, which is not unlike soft plastic to me. However, I don't mind the taste, and was curious about M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate candies.

I've always liked M&M's, especially that there are so many tasty varieties (almond, peanut butter and pretzel ones are my favorites). I wondered how the Candy Corn White Chocolate ones would taste. In addition to tasting the new M&M's, I was challenged to use them in some kind of craft project.

Here's a peek at what I made (tutorial is later in the post).

I headed out one evening by myself to Walmart to search for the candy corn M&M's. Luckily, our local Walmart carried them, as I've heard that they're a little hard to come by.

While I was at Walmart, I liked moseying about, checking out all the Halloween stuff.

After all, as the mama of an infant, I don't get out much so I was savoring this solo shopping trip.

Lots of pumpkin paraphanlia

Plus I love Halloween, and enjoy seeing what costumes are out this year (pirates continue to be popular).

I finally found the M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate candies--not amongst the Halloween candy, but with in the candy aisle of the grocery area in an end cap display.

$2.48 is not a bad price for trying out these new candies, so I picked up 2 bags plus a bag of Chocolate M&M's in harvest colors, and headed to the crafts and home departments to buy some items for the craft I wanted to make with them--a M&M's mosaic.

First stop, picture frames.

Quite a selection with pretty good prices. I liked the Better Homes and Gardens ones best.

I picked up a 5x7" white one and headed to the crafts department for some hot glue sticks. I didn't want to use wet glue due to the M&M's color running off.

I then headed to the checkouts to finish the shopping trip and head home to make the mosaic.

Once home, I got out all the materials needed for the craft--M&M's, frame, stiff paper, scissors, hot glue gun/glue sticks, and pencil--and went to work.

I started by cutting my stiff paper to fit into the frame, then tracing the area that is on the inside of the matte, where the mosaic would go. I also took out the glass, because the M&M's are too thick to fit underneath it.

Then I sketched out a candy corn shape to guide where I'd place the M&M's.

Next, I opened the M&M's--which incidentally, are actually pretty good with their subtle vanilla flavor. I probably ate more as I was working than I used in the mosaic!

Then I sorted the colors into their respective areas of the mosaic.

It's better to sort them and lay them out first rather than gluing as you go, just in case you need to rearrange them.

Once I finished the candy corn shape, I moved onto the background, which would be brown. I picked the brown ones out of the autumn colors bag--a pretty mix of reds, yellows and browns which are deserving of a craft of their own.

In retrospect, I would have used a black paper instead of white, just so the candy corn shape would "pop" more. But with a border of brown M&M's, they still looked nice.

Next. I used the hot glue gun to work on gluing down the M&M's row by row, however I found that it dried too quickly for me, especially for how long it took me to line up the M&M's just right. So I tried another method--Glue Dots, which I had in my craft stash. They worked perfectly.

Once I had all of my M&M's tacked down, which didn't take as long as I thought it would, I popped it into the frame to see if I had to tweak any of the M&M's.

Perfect! And none of them fell off when I stood it upright.

And take a look at all those (mostly) perfectly lined up "m"s on the M&M's. That takes patience!

I think it looks very festive hanging on our kitchen wall, and appropriate for the candy holiday known as Halloween.

Now to just keep my preschooler from snacking on it! If I made this again, I think I'd go larger. I think it could really make an impact in a poster-sized frame. However, with a newborn, I just don't think I'd be able to do all that gluing in an evening.

I do like how it turned out, and think it's a perfect seasonal addition to our home.

Plus I think the M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate candies will be making an encore appearance in our pantry.

You can check out my "moment" on This Moment too. And I'd be thrilled if you'd vote for my craft on the M&M's Get Corny website when the polls open on the 7th.

It's a competition between bloggers to create items with the M&M's candy corn in categories of crafts and recipes. I can't wait to see what the other bloggers have cooked or crafted up!
Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Minding the Gap

2011-09-27T15:22:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been wondering if there is really an ideal age gap for siblings.

Jude is perfecting the stoic, Civil War baby photo face (you know how in those old photos everyone is always so grim looking)

The "threes" around here have been pretty terrible of late, and I can't help but think maybe adding a baby to the mix at this age wasn't the best of thoughts.

Who am I kidding, I can't imagine not seeing this sweet, smiling face every day!

Back to topic: things here have been difficult with Soren, mostly typical preschooler stuff like not listening, screaming, hitting Chris and I, and inappropriately shoving his face into our butts when we're standing up and walking. Not exactly the kind of butt kissing his dad and I would hope to have from our child, but we deal with it.

At least he's not kissing butts here.

I wonder if there really is a good age to space children. Too close and you're up to your arms in poopy diapers, endless feeding, eye poking and biting. Too far apart and you get jealousy issues (or maybe a super-helpful big brother/sister) or the attention-seeking behaviors that we're dealing with. My mom says that she doesn't recall any issues with me and the oldest of my 4 brothers, and we are 17 months apart. Then again, she says I was a pretty helpful, agreeable child.

My friend Shana doesn't seem to have too many problems with her kids, who are a little under 2 years apart. Some face poking and one story about her daughter "coaching" her non-walking baby brother down the steps. {Shana, leave me a comment to tell me how wrong (or right) I am about your kids.}

I have hope that as Jude gets older, that the two boys will "grow" into their age gap and that each of them will find the good qualities of their ages in relation to each other. I like to imagine Soren as a didactic older brother, finding ways to teach Jude and enthusiastically share his interests. And I hope that Jude will make Soren nostalgic for experiences from his childhood and make him eager to relive things with his brother. We'll see...

Get Creative with Eco-Friendly Kids' Furniture from Cascades

2011-09-27T14:56:00.000-04:00

This week, my best friend and I got together for one of our usual play dates with our three-year-olds and babies, though instead of messing about with the toys, the kiddos got busy decorating an amazing playhouse--one made out of cardboard.

This adorable little abode is made entirely of recycled and recyclable cardboard and comes from Cascade. I love its charming details, like the awnings, skylights and mailbox. Quite impressive for a paper product!

The kids enjoyed scribbling on the Children's Cardboard Playhouse, though being 3-years old requires much more attention to running in and out of the doors and enjoying the pretend aspects of the playhouse, rather than art making.

My friend's daughter at work, coloring one of the doors

The playhouse was easy to assemble, and came packaged flat in a cardboard box with a handle, which made it convenient to move from our front porch into the house.

Even my son was able to help with assembly, popping out the areas on the cardboard that would serve as notches later on.

I love that it's eco-friendly, easy to set up and take apart, and completely customizable. I would have liked to have had the kids paint it, but it was a rainy day and I thought that it might be unwise to let two 3-year-olds attempt to paint it in the living room.

Markers and crayons worked just fine, and they can always be painted over later on. I think this would look sweet even with some collaged elements, like a decoupaged affect on the door or some stripes on the awnings.

While the playhouse is a little large for some living spaces (36"x50"x48"), it is quite roomy and I like that it has two doors so that kids can go through the house and not struggle with trying to squeeze through one entrance. Plus that makes more fun surfaces to decorate.

Cascades also makes other cardboard furniture, including a really neat set of cardboard chairs and a cardboard table.

Cascades' eco-friendly furniture line is a great way for kids to express themselves while promoting a green lifestyle.
Disclosure: I received a Children's Cardboard Playhouse for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

New Dannon Activia Selects Yogurt

2011-09-27T13:27:00.001-04:00

I've posted before about how much we enjoy yogurt in our house, and though we have a couple of brands that we frequently buy, I was curious about Activia and its new Activia Selects, which I've never tried. When Mom Central Consulting was looking for bloggers to try it out, I wanted to check it out.

I bought one of the Activia Selects Greek Yogurt, an extremely popular type of yogurt at the moment. Though I'm not a huge "regular" yogurt fan, I do enjoy Greek yogurt and its creamier, thicker texture.

Our grocery store carried the strawberry flavor, which was tasty and creamy. It was a little light on actual fruit chunks, but still good.

Yogurt is one of our favorite go-to snacks in our house. It's nutritious, full of protein and calcium, and it keeps us from feeling hungry longer than foods like cereal and carbs. It's wonderful as a dessert too, with fresh fruit and granola, when you want something sweet after a meal but not too heavy.

Admittedly, it is high in sugar, but so is cake and that's missing a lot of the beneficial things that yogurt provides.

Activia Selects is also available in Parfait with granola and French Style, which is apparently silky and creamy. I would like to have tried that too, but our grocery didn't carry it (yet). You can sign up for a coupon for a free sample on the Activia Selects website.
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Activia and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

The Rhythm of Family {Book Review and Giveaway}

2011-09-22T13:23:00.001-04:00

I've been crushing on Amanda Soule's Soule Mama blog for quite some time now, as you can see in my sidebar's "Good Reads" list. Despite often making me feel inadequate and clumsy when it comes to raising a family, I find Amanda's philosophy and practice of life to be inspiring.

She, her husband and their 5 (!) kids live in Maine and are working on creating a self-sustainable farm. Amanda models a life of natural living, whether through healthy cooking, crafts, simple family activities, and outdoor fun.

Amanda recently released her third book, co-authored with her husband Stephen, titled The Rhythm of Family. I knew I'd like it because I own Amanda's first two books, which I enjoy.

The Rhythm of Family is set up a little differently than her previous books. It corresponds with the "rhythm" of seasons and months of the year. Each month is broken into a few essays/activities that reflect upon that time of year, which are illustrated with the Soules' lovely photography of their landscape, home and family.

I like that the recipes and crafts in the book are simple, straightforward, and encourage active participation in our natural world, encouraging us to slow down and live within the moment. I'm eager to make the Soule's Everyday Oat Bread and Soule-sa Salsa, and create a terrarium and Tiny Treasure Bowls with my children.

Both Soules are observant and sensitive writers. I love how the essays (one for each month from Mama's and Papa's perspective) are both eloquent and acutely recorded, which speaks to the way that this family lives mindfully. The book even encourages meditation and mindfulness practice for the family, something both my husband and I feel are important for grounding us as human beings.

While we don't own a farm or have access to our own hens and eggs, there are so many inspiring and practical lessons within The Rhythm of Family. It's a book that will pop on and off of my bookshelf for many years to come, and probably have lots of dog-eared pages.

WIN IT!

Two lucky readers will each receive a copy of

The Rhythm of Family

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Leave a comment about what appeals most to you about this book. There's more info on the book's webpage, including a view inside the book.
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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 October 5th at 11:59pmEST to enter. The winner 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 Rhythm of Family for review purposes.

Mama Muscles

2011-09-22T09:30:00.002-04:00

Aches, creaks, kinks and crinks. Babies and kids are really taking a toll on my already-tired body.

From nursing in weird positions so I can play cars with my 3 year old (or fend off his kamikaze dive-bombs while feeding the baby) to carrying Jude in the sling along with these 25lb. milk-filled boobs, I'm plum worn out.

I'm definitely in need of a hot shower here

It's my own fault, really. Despite having a comfy, back-supporting nursing pillow, I still find myself hunching or scooching around in positions that favor the baby, but not mama. There are muscles that I didn't even know existed that are screaming for a massage.

Though the sling is really comfy most days, Jude is gaining weight by the hour, it seems, so my back sometimes tires a lot sooner now. He is so darned cute in there, and quite snuggly.

Don't ask me what's going on with my hand in that photo. Must be another twitchy mama-muscle thing.

I just can't motivate myself to get into a yoga routine, despite Mr. Geek's daily hour of it each morning. I should join in, however 4:45am is just wayyyyyy too early, especially after a night of interrupted sleep.

However, Advil is always available, 24/7. The path of least resistance always works for me and my lazy self. How about you?

Date Night with the Farmer's Wife

2011-09-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

Chris and I were playing farm couple last night when we underwent our almost-yearly autumn tradition--canning applesauce!

Over the weekend, Soren and I went apple picking at a local organic orchard, so I wanted to preserve most of the half-bushel we bought rather than try to keep up with devouring dozens upon dozens of these tasty treats. One does tire of apples after eating a few dozen, believe it or not.

And since Jude will start eating solids over the winter, I thought some organic applesauce was in order for his first tastes of the sweetness of food.

After the kids were in bed, we headed to the kitchen for a few hours of together time. Not the most romantic date, but at least we'll enjoy the fruits (pun intended) of our labor over the cold months.

I did the cooking and prepping of the jars while Chris worked his magic on the food mill.

If you've never used a food mill before, it's great for making applesauce without having to peel hundreds of apples. You just core them, chop them, toss 'em in a pot to cook, and then run the cooked apples through the food mill. The food mill essentially mashes the apples through a sieve and leaves all the chewy bits behind.

After about 2 1/2 hours, we had a yield of 12 jars of pink applesauce (from cooking the apples with the skins on). And it's delicious!

We're currently taking suggestions for more conventional date nights, and of course for babysitters too!