Category — kids

Well, we have been spending a little too much time focusing on Dr. visits lately… the girls are sick.

One of them may be treatable with diet – i.e. getting her off of dairy. Good thing I already know how to cook a few vegan meals! Speaking of which, I make some delicious *almost* vegan scones this morning – fluffy, moist and delicious… if only I could find a good substitute for butter – - no, margarine will not work.

The other is having issues with her lungs. She has had a cough off & on since April. She was checked in May, it got mostly better, then she got a cold in July… guess what stayed. What is happening to my babies! She is going in to see a pulmonary specialist next month at Children’s Hospital (that ought to be a fun visit) and in the interm they are pumping her full of drugs for ashma – - parental note here – - THE INHALER & STERIODS AREN’T WORKING DOC, THEY HAVEN’T WORKED FOR A MONTH!! PLEASE stop filling my baby with drugs!

“Hmmm let’s see, doing a regular dose didn’t do anything, I know, let’s double it!” Some specialist. After looking over her info that her Dr. sent over his first response was (and I quote) “wierd” So let’s throw some drugs at it to make it go away? Gee, I wonder why our society is so ill. I know, let’s refine food to the point that it is no longer food, then throw chemicals at the ensuing problems to make them worse – I mean fix them. God Bless America – please!

We desperatly need it.

On the cooking front, I came across this great post on cooking brown rice:
http://chrisfj.com/how-to-cook-brown-rice/ sounds pretty good to me, although it takes about twice as long as I usually cook it. I’ve been doing the “3 cups rice, 4 cups water” for such a long time now… This guy is trying the same experiment as some frineds of ours – going total vegan – after reading The China Study

It makes sense, you know, however I would have such a hard time giving up everything that is an animal byproduct (i.e. butter, eggs, yogurt, lamb, etc) Mmmmmm, gyros with tzaziki sauce… getting hungry again.

Anyhoo, that’s my update for today. Take a look at the scone recipe if you are interested… they are really good, and I put in the “normal” ingredients for those that don’t have access to the others.

Here’s another picture to really get your mouth watering…

With the kids going back to school, you may find it harder to make sure that they know just how you feel about them. This article offers you some great ideas for showing your little – and big – ones just how much you care!

10 Little Things
By Julie Miller

We all love our kiddos, but so often we run out of time or ideas on how to show them that we love them. Here are 10 simple, easy and inexpensive ways to show your little ones that they are the apple of your eye. It just takes a moment each day to assure your child that they are special and loved.

* Write a Letter ~ Even little ones that can’t read yet LOVE to get mail. Find a special card, or make one yourself. Write a letter to your child and let him know that you love him and he is special to you. Be sure he is the one to get the card out of the mail box. Read the letter together. Then, keep all of the cards that you send in a special place…when he’s older, you can give them all back to him as a reminder of all of the reasons he is dear to you.

* Special Breakfast ~ For an unexpected treat for your little one, cook her favorite breakfast and serve it for dinner! Better yet, have her help you cook…kids love to help cook.

* Little Love Notes ~ Write little love notes for your child. Leave them in hidden places that he will find…under his pillow, in the refrigerator, under his dinner plate, in his school book, tape it under the toilet lid (great when he’s potty training), on his car seat, anywhere that he will find it. This also works great if you have to leave for a few days…then there are reminders that you love him even when you’re gone.

* Have a date ~ Even little ones love dates! Take her out to “coffee” with you…steamed milk with a bit of vanilla and cinnamon makes a lovely treat. Pack a picnic lunch, go out to a movie, look at the stars, take a stroll together. She will appreciate the extra attention, and you can use that time to let her know how much you love her.

* Get involved ~ Pay attention to your child’s favorites. Does he love trains? Take him for a walk by the train tracks. Does she love flowers, help her start her own garden. Does he love to read, take him to the library and let him pick a special book for you to read together. Doing things together that involve something he loves is always fun and will let him know that you are paying attention to him.

* Set a Timer ~ Pick a time, 15 minutes, 30 minutes…whatever. Then set the timer and use that time to completely focus on your kids, play, paint, sing, dance, run around, laugh, giggle…anything! Don’t get distracted by anything else…ignore the phone, the house, the dishes, give this time to your child. He will thank you for the undivided attention.

* Snuggle ~ Go to the video store and let your child pick out a movie. Then pop up some popcorn and snuggle under a blanket with your little one and watch the entire movie together. So often we get involved in other things that we forget that a good snuggle and a movie can really let a child know that they are worth your time.

* Hugs ~ This one is so easy! Simply give your child a big hug and tell him you love him. Tell him some special things about him that you appreciate and love. Tell him why you are happy that he is your baby.

* Journal ~ Get a notebook and write down all of the little memorable moments in your child’s life. Remember to write down things that are funny, amazing, silly, kind, and things that come out of his mouth that are incredibly profound. Write your thoughts and prayers for him as he grows. Then give him the book when he is grown. It makes a great gift for him when he has his first child.

* Display Their Work ~ Your child will give you countless pictures, drawings, paintings and projects. Find a special place in your home to display them proudly. The refrigerator is a great way to show your child that you appreciate his work. Another idea is to attach a small strip of metal to a wall (Under a cabinet works great). Then you can hang current artwork up with magnets and change it out as new masterpieces are created. This pride in his work will show your child how much you love him and appreciate his artistic talents.

Remember that you are the first one to foster your child’s self-esteem. Showing your child each and every day that he is special and that you love him and appreciate him will help him to grow knowing that he is a special child of God.

Reprinted with permission.
© 2005-2007 Julie Miller
Julie Miller is a work at home mom to two small boys and currently resides on the lovely Central Coast of California. She owns and operates two home based online jewelry shops. Her first,Little Girls Pearls’, is an upscale online boutique which offers heirloom quality pearl and sterling silver jewelry for girls of all ages. Her other, Jules, offers elegant and whimsical handcrafted jewelry.

Today is the last day of Summer vacation for our family – tomorrow both of my babies are going to school, and I will have 2-3 days per week of perfect, uninterrupted peace & quiet… there is potential for that to totally suck. For the past 6.5 years, I have had at least 1 child with me 24/7 (with rare breaks) except for the 1 hour 2 days per week last Spring that they were both in school at the same time.

However…

With this 2-3 days per week of quiet, I should be able to get some kickin’ bags thought up & made… the creative juices will be able to flow unstiffled. This is a good thing that I am sooooooooooooo looking forward to – once I get used to it.

It’s just the thought that my baby is going off to kindergarden, that her “childhood” is now over, and her “school-age” has begun. Have I done everything I could have to prepare both of my girls for the big bad world? I fear that I haven’t. Will they be safe? Will they get along with the other kids? Will they have nice teachers? Will my oldest watch out for her little sister – or be her worst bully? These are the thoughts that are running through my head today.

Please God, watch over my girls… keep them safe, help them to make new friends easily, help their teachers to be a perfect fit with them. Protect them from the bad people that are out there… preserve their innocence for a little while longer. Help them to have a rich childhood & kid-hood to look back on as they grow up. Hide your work in their hearts so that they will have it always there to draw from. Surround them with your angels. These are the prayers of a mom as she watches her babies grow up.

On top of all of this, tomorrow I get a little older… oh well, at least I get to spend half of my birthday with Ari in tow – she has kindergarden testing tomorrow afternoon, so she won’t be gone all day.

We will, however, be starting the day with green eggs & ham… it’s tradition!

…I do, I love green eggs & ham
Thank you, thank you Sam I am!

Summer is here, and this is the perfect thing to take a regular Summer vacation and make it magical The Fairy Bower is a gauzy green hideaway that can fit quite a few kids inside, and turn their outdoor playtime into something very special. They can pretend that they are fairies hiding away amidst the flowers, or be princes & princesses. Only their imaginations will limit them!

Once Summer is over, you can bring it inside and hang it from the ceiling to let the magic continue…

Do you have a little artist in the house? This is a wonderful solution to store all of their fanciful creations!

My Place For Art is a large accordion file folder (in great kid colors) that will sort and store the creations of your budding artist – or artists – in an easy-to-access place that will not only keep everything contained, but keep their art accessible for years to come.

Take a look at My Place For Art today!

As those of us who have been through the baby years understand, spit up happens… and it’s usually messy! Sheila McGoldrick cas come to the rescue! She has invented a new kind of burp cloth called the Handy Burpee tm that will help keep your hands clean and dry, but catch all of that messy spit up.

We recently reviewed this wonderful mom-invented product with a baby that liked to “waste her groceries” as my mom loves to call it. When my daughter spits up, she does a very good job!

Up until now I have been using a receiving blanket as a burp cloth for her – brings a whole new meaning to the term “receiving blanket” doesn’t it!

The Handy Burpee is very useful for keeping your hands clean and dry, and for a “normal baby” it will work like a dream. The only problem that I had with it was the size. With the tummy troubles that my daughter had, it just didn’t quite catch everything. If it came in a larger size, it would be the perfect feeding accessory for her!

I use it now that my daughter is spitting up less, and it is working like a dream – it is easy to clean, and it keeps me from having to clean up in the middle of a feeding. And it does a great job of replacing a large receiving blanket for days around town!

If you are looking for the perfect gift for a new mom or mom-to-be, check out the Handy Burpee tm at Love Prints

These picture wands are a great way for every little girl that attends to remember your daughter’s special day. They are very easy to make, and you just tape a picture into them during the party (Dad’s love to be stuck with this job – they can’t seem to take that much fairy fluff!) Here are the items that you will need to pick up at the store – we usually head to Michaels:

· 1 package of 20 dowels – pre-cut to around 12” long
· spray paint in the color of your daughter’s choice (we have done pink, purple, green, etc.)
· spray glitter or loose glitter
· Ribbons – you can choose either ¼“ ribbon or curling ribbon. Get a couple in each color you choose. I recommend at least 4 colors.
· Pre-painted wooden mini-frames – Michael’s carries these back in the wood section. They are about 3” tall.
· Hot glue gun
· Digital camera

Take the dowels outside & spray them with the color of your choice. They will need some time to dry between coats, so if it’s cold or rainy, use the garage. I usually place them in a cardboard box & shake it to roll them around to get all sides. If you are using plain glitter, pour some in the bottom of the box while you are painting the last couple of layers & shake the box to coat them. Spray glitter is easier to use, just wait until the paint is dry & spray the glitter as the final layer. Allow them to dry overnight.

Cut the ribbon into 2 ft. long strips. We usually use an assortment of curling ribbon, sheer ribbon & ¼” to 1/2 “ ribbons. Sometimes we even add a little pearl ribbon that you can find in the bridal section of most craft stores.

When the paint is totally dry, glue the dowel to the back side of the picture frame at one end. While the glue is still hot, select around 6 ribbon pieces & tie them around the dowel, just at the base of the frame. Set them aside to dry. On the day of the party, you can place them in a vase as part of the table decorations.
If there are older kids at the party, you can have the pre-painted dowels, ribbon & frames there for them to put together as a craft, however I would not recommend it for young kids – that hot glue gun gets hot!

When each guest arrives, take their picture – make sure you have a good close-up of their face. When everyone is there, let dad sneak upstairs to download & print off the pictures. Make sure they are sized to fit inside your picture frames. Once they are printed off & cut out, simply tape them to the back side of the frame. If you want a more “finished” look, you can tape or hot glue a piece of fabric on as a backing behind the picture.

Ta-da! You now have a wonderful party favor that will remind your daughter’s friends of her party for a very long time.
These also work great for a special craft for a pre-school or kindergarten class.

If you are looking for a great gift for a family on your list – or your own kids – you need to take a look at a new book by Sara Ann Denson called Christmas Turtles. This great story is about Sara’s own grandmother, and the wonderful turtle candies that she used to make every year when Sara was growing up – even though her grandmother couldn’t eat them herself!

This is a wonderful and heartwarming story that may bring back fond memories for you Moms, Dad’s and Grandparents, and it includes a recipe for turtles and a wooden mixing spoon to help you create new memories of your own!

Christmas Turtles is available from Purple Sky Publishing, and if you use the coupon code “cottagegiftspecial” you can save 15% on your total purchase. Hurry over to check it out – there may still be a few autographed copies left to order!

Christmas Turtles is also available at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and borders.com, however the 15% off coupon is good only at purpleskypublishing.com

Do you want more info about the author & illustrator?

Sara Ann Denson has been a nationally published author since the age of 18. In 1995, she received the first place One-Act Play Award at the annual Alabama Writer’ Conclave and she went on to publish three books of scripts and play along with various magazine credits. She currently lives in Jefferson City, Missouri with her husband, Boyd, and their two sons, Samuel and Gideon. She is a member of the MOMpack.

Tara McMillen as always had a special love for art. Tara is a painter who has done numerous murals in the Kansas City area. Her attention to detail and her intuitive nature makes her the perfect illustrator for children’s books. Tara has been married for seventeen years and has two wonderful children, Ericka and Kyle, who have also been blessed with their mother’s artistic ability.

For additional information regarding the author and illustrator, as well as other authors and illustrators employed by Purple Sky Publishing LLC, please visit purpleskypublishing.com