Tuesday, April 30, 2013
LIFE LATELY
Telling you that life has been busy here is flat out an understatement. Aside from constantly being on the go, our computer is crashing out on us, which of course means it's time for a new one. It's a good, but a bad thing. I've also thrown myself into full throttle birthday planning mode! I'm working on a birthday planning post for all of you. And of course trying to bust my butt getting new items for Cute.Cravings ready to go! All with a 10 month old and living with family.....ahhhhh!!!!!
Our weather has finally turned nice, but apparently it's short lived and suppose to turn crummy yet again after today. We have taken full advantage of being outside on our nice weather days. We've been shopping for spring, working outside and on our garden. While out and about we did find some cute spring/summer clothes for the babe along with her adorable aqua blue sunglasses that I've been searching for the perfect pair for weeks! Every time I say she can't get any cuter, she proves me wrong, but then again I'm totally biased!
Garage sale season has also officially begun! My mom and I hit up about 8 different sales in one neighborhood last weekend. I kept my eyes out for girl clothes and to be honest they were hard to find. I spent a total of $4.75 (whoopie), BUT I found an adorable denim dress with bloomers and a pair of leggings with cute little birds printed on them (great for next year). Garage sales can be hard to find great items sometimes, but if you look hard enough you really can find some great finds.
Kensi absolutely loves playing outside. She constantly wants to be put down and crawl through the grass and on the drive way. I ordered her some shoes, but they're not here yet and when she crawled around on the deck for the first time, I spent 30 minutes of her nap pulling out splinters! Which by the way if you have to do it, put a baking soda/water paste mixture on first, let it dry, then pull out the splinters. It creates a massive mess, so if you want go ahead and put a band-aid on top until it dries. It brings them to the surface and will make your life so much easier!
I took these photos the same day Kensi went wild in the flower pots, scooping dirt out from every possible pot she could find. Here, her and Stella were playing with Stella's bone, which Kensi has claimed partly hers....Stella doesn't agree, but seriously what can she do?
Working oh so hard to get a pebble.
UGH, Seriously! She's such a little nugget of cuteness!
Friday, April 26, 2013
FIRST DAY OF SPRING.....HERE
We finally have some nice weather, WOO HOO!!! We took full advantage of it yesterday and Kensi loved exploring outside for the first time on her own. She was into everything and we didn't have any boundaries except for the edge of the deck.
Dirt was included in her exploration. We're so glad she's not afraid to get dirty and messy. She had a blast scooping up the dirt and putting in on the ground, or even better herself.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
10 MONTHS
Age: 10 months
Weight: 20lbs
Height:
Firsts: Clapping!
Events: We celebrated St. Patrick's Day and Easter
Travel: None
Foods: She's eating again! Our little foodie is back. She has started eating more soft table foods, but really likes to chew on raw fruits and veggies. Some of her favorites are peppers, asparagus, broccoli, cucumber and cauliflower. She will not eat pureed foods or cereal for either of us anymore. She also had her first taste of bacon and refused to give it up!
Favorite Toys: Anything she can chew on, including the furniture. I thought we had a baby, not a puppy!
Favorite Thing to Do: She loves taking every book off the shelf. She searches for her Duck & Goose books and flips through the pages making her cute little girly noises.
Sitting Up: Yes
Rolling Over: Yes
Crawling: YES, and she's going up the stairs.
Walking: Not yet, but she's walking around all the furniture and beginning to free stand.
Smiling: Yes
Talking: Yes, repetitive words.
If talking, what words: Dada, Lala, Ni-Ni (night night)
Sleeping Through the Night: Off and on.
Other: She really enjoys pulling out her Duck & Goose books. She'll find one, bring it over and sit on my lap; at the end of Goose Needs a Hug she gives Goose kisses. Can my heart seriously melt anymore??? She is also all about babies. When we're out and about she points to every little kidlit she sees. She'll also carry around the Babies 'R Us and BabyGap flyers we receive in the mail pointing and giving kisses to the babies on the pages. She also learned how to stand in the shopping cart, giving us heart attacks, good thing she listens when we tell her to put her butt back down...although she usually ends up fake crying. Lastly, she thinks she is just so funny! She has to join in when everyone is laughing....her laugh is sometimes fake and obnoxious, but still so sweet.
Other: She really enjoys pulling out her Duck & Goose books. She'll find one, bring it over and sit on my lap; at the end of Goose Needs a Hug she gives Goose kisses. Can my heart seriously melt anymore??? She is also all about babies. When we're out and about she points to every little kidlit she sees. She'll also carry around the Babies 'R Us and BabyGap flyers we receive in the mail pointing and giving kisses to the babies on the pages. She also learned how to stand in the shopping cart, giving us heart attacks, good thing she listens when we tell her to put her butt back down...although she usually ends up fake crying. Lastly, she thinks she is just so funny! She has to join in when everyone is laughing....her laugh is sometimes fake and obnoxious, but still so sweet.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
BABY SMOOTHIE POPS
Thanks to one of my fellow June 2012 moms, I created smoothie pops for Kensi. All the credit goes to G's mom who shared this idea by using applesauce and juice. So creative! Kensi loves smoothies and will often share mine. But since teething and with summer coming soon, I decided to try this bright idea with smoothies. Kensi has stopped taking a binkie/pacifier a few months ago, so for us this was a perfect way to get more use out of her unused binkies.
I started by making a basic smoothie and to be honest I have no real recipe. I toss different items that I find in the fridge and freezer and it's done. I do use coconut milk instead of juice and I always add flax seed and wheat germ (no more than a tablespoon of each). I love mixing fruits and vegetables together along with fresh herbs like parsley.
Make your smoothie, pour it into an ice cube tray and place a pacifier into each filled cube. The binkies with the flippy handle I think work best because it's easier to hold, but Kensi holds the smoothie pop in every way possible, so she gets messy and doesn't care.
Pop the ice cube tray int he freezer for a few hours until they set. When they're frozen through, twist your tray and the pops should pop right out!
Now you have the perfect sized healthy cold snack for your baby!
Thank you again G's mom for sharing such a bright idea!
Monday, April 8, 2013
HOW TO: PAINTED VASES FOR REAL FLOWERS
Not sure if you've noticed, but the color painted vases have been popping up all over my Pinterest feed for months now. These are perfect to make for May Day or Mother's Day!
I was very excited to do my own set, but every time I looked at each pin, everyone was using basic Arcylic paint which you then can't use your new vase to hold real flowers unless it can be cured because the paint will peel out with the water sitting inside. So to fix the dilemma....
I was very excited to do my own set, but every time I looked at each pin, everyone was using basic Arcylic paint which you then can't use your new vase to hold real flowers unless it can be cured because the paint will peel out with the water sitting inside. So to fix the dilemma....
I'm showing you how to make these adorable and inexpensive vases that can be used for fresh flowers. It's the perfect touch for spring.
Supplies:
Clear Vase
Enamel Paint or Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Craft Paint
Nail Polish Remover
Paper Plate
Disposable Cup
Cookie Sheet
This is the Martha Stewart Multi-Surface craft paint. Yes it does say Acrylic, but this can work because we are going to CURE it by baking it or you can let it stand for 21 days if you're nervous about putting these vases in your oven.
Make sure your vase is clean and dry, you can wipe it out with a little rubbing alcohol.
In your cup, pour in about 2 tablespoons of your paint and 1-2 tablespoons of nail polish remover. Mix them together until it's smooth. If you're using a larger jar, then you'll want to add more of each product. Dump the paint/polish remover mix into your vase or jar and start swirling around the inside until everything is coated.
Pour any extra paint mix back into your cup and set your vase upside down on a thick paper plate so extra paint can drain out.
It's best to let the vase(es) dry over night in an upright position. Wipe away any excess paint around the rim of the vase.
Place your vases on a ridged cookie sheet and place in a cold oven. Set the oven at 275 degrees F and bake for 2 hours. Make sure you start your timer when you placed the vases into the cold oven NOT once the oven is pre-heated.
When your timer is done, remove the vases and let cool.
**I've washed these with soapy, warm water by hand and no paint has come off. I'm not sure if they can hold up to a dishwasher, but you're always welcome to try.
**I've washed these with soapy, warm water by hand and no paint has come off. I'm not sure if they can hold up to a dishwasher, but you're always welcome to try.
I just did these for Easter weekend and they were perfect for holding my beautiful white flowers.
What a great way to welcome spring! I can't wait to make a set of vases in various shades of blue or orange for summer.
The possibilities are endless!
What a great way to welcome spring! I can't wait to make a set of vases in various shades of blue or orange for summer.
The possibilities are endless!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
VANILLA BEAN SCONES
I don't know about you, but when I go to Starbucks one of my favorite pairings with my coffee is their Mini Vanilla Bean scones. With help from The Pioneer Woman, I've tweaked and mastered my own spin on these scrumptious little bites!
Vanilla Bean Scones
3 cups Flour
1-1/2 Tablespoons Truvia Sugar OR 2/3 cup White Sugar
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 sticks (1/2 lb) Unsalted Butter, chilled
1 large Egg
1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
Vanilla Bean Glaze
1 Vanilla Bean
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Milk
5 cups Powdered Sugar
Dash of Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
I like to mix my ingredients in a food processor, but you can also do it by hand.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the cold butter into into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter (or the food processor....just pulse a few times until mixture resembles crumbs) cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture is crumb like.
Mix the heavy cream & vanilla extract with the egg, add to the flour mixture and stir until it comes together.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently press together and form into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
Cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares, then cut diagonally to form triangles. Depending on the size of your original rectangle you can get anywhere between 24-40 scones.
Transfer your triangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 18 minutes or just before they start turning golden brown. Set them aside and let cool.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. Cut the vanilla bean in half and using the edge of your knife scrape out all the caviar and place it in the milk along with the vanilla extract. Let this sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to come out.
Mix the powdered sugar and salt with the milk mixture until smooth.
Take each scone and dip it into the glaze mixture, coating it entirely. Place it on a drying rack, a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper to dry. Store in an airtight container.
The scones are best served with coffee!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
THERE SHE GOES
She has mastered going up, not so much going down. Luckily, she won't attempt to go down and instead with yell at my from the loft to come up and get her :)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
FABULOUS FINDS: TOMMEE TIPPEE MEAL TIME
I'm starting this post by saying Kensi hates sippy cups, absolutely HATES them. I have bought probably 4 different types of sippys and there is only one that she will drink from when she wants to. The others, she whines until I trade it out for a bottle with a nipple and gives me the stink eye. So needless to say, I have no recommendation for a sippy cup, sorry! I do have recommendations for bibs, plates and utensils and I have become a huge fan of Tommee Tippee products.
I'm not a huge a fan of the cloth bibs even though some of them are straight up adorable. My favorite that Kensi has says, "Cookies are my favorite food group," simply because I'm a huge cookie and milk dunker. But in reality the cloth bibs don't cover that great and they just add to the laundry pile. My (and Hubby's) favorite bib is the Tommee Tippee Easy Roll Bib. It may look like a weird contraption, but it's fan-freakin-tastic! Because it's silicon (BPA FREE!) it can be rinsed off or wiped off which makes for super easy clean up. It also has a scoop on the bottom that catches all the crumbs and pieces of food that don't make it to Kensi's mouth, which is a lot. The scoop saves me from having to clean up the high chair later.
We bought ours from Target and I looked to link it for all you on Amazon and that is totally not happening! They are WAY OVER PRICED ON AMAZON! Target sells them for $6.99.....whereas Amazon sells them for a whopping $17.99+++++ Can we all say that's CRAAAAZY!!!
Another favorite, more my husband's, are the Tommee Tippee Feeding Spoons. We have this set and two sets by munchkin. Mike really likes these because they're shorter and don't flip out of the bowl or off the plate, they're also much easier for Kensi to hold and she can dip them into her foods because they have a wider spoon base to scoop foods and they're more chunky compared to other spoon sets. I'm not going to lie....these spoons entertain Kensi as well and we often find them in her toy basket.
Next, we have the Tommee Tippe Easi Mat. How many times have you gone to a restaurant with your kidlit and they decide to the flying saucer trick? I know Kensi loves trying to do it, even at home. This will suction to any of the Tommee Tippee bowls and plates (which work great!) or any other bowl or plate with a flat surface on the bottom. Seriously a huge life saver!
We also have this adorable suction plate I found at Whole Foods. I like the plate because 1) There are divided sections 2) It has pictures which Kensi loves to point at. The only negative thing I can say about this plate is it doesn't stick as well to a wood surfaced table as well as a solid surface top.
I also got the matching sippy cup, this is the one cup I was talking about. The only downfall is the water comes flying out and gets Kensi in the face every. single. time.
So literally after I finished typing this post, Kensi wanted my CamelBak BPA Free Eddy water bottle with the sucky straw thing....low and behold she figured it out! I am over the moon excited that she has finally figured out how to drink from something other than me or a bottle!!! WOOT WOOT GO KENSI!!!
So literally after I finished typing this post, Kensi wanted my CamelBak BPA Free Eddy water bottle with the sucky straw thing....low and behold she figured it out! I am over the moon excited that she has finally figured out how to drink from something other than me or a bottle!!! WOOT WOOT GO KENSI!!!
So after doing the BabyGap clothing post, I had to share my favorites for Spring that I purchased within the last few weeks. Again, I don't go overboard, but I love finding items that can be worn in multiple ways. The tops can also be paired up with the denim jeans, shorts or skirt.
| Chambray Short One-Piece | Knit-Waist Bubble Shorts | Embroidered Air Graphic Bodysuit | Crocheted Floral Sundress | Empire Eyelet Top | Eyelet Chambray Bloomers | Metallic T-Strap Sandal |
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
FABULOUS FINDS: BABYGAP CLOTHING
If you ask our close friends about where I do most of my shopping they will immediately tell you the Gap. And it's no different when it comes to Kensington's wardrobe. Aside from my personal love for Gap, I have found BabyGap to be the most true to size in their clothing for Kensi. She still can fit into some of her 3-6 month sized leggings, tops and jackets.
This is seriously one of my most favorite outfits of hers from last year. This was a 0-3 months size and she wore it well for 5 months.
I wash all of her clothes in cold/warm water and everything goes into the dryer to make my life easier. I haven't had any issues with over shrinking, stitches coming out or the loss of buttons and embellishments or holes.
Sometimes their clothing lines are hit and miss. I don't buy from every clothing line/trend they offer. I try and buy items that will last as long as possible. But BabyGap is great about hitting the trends as well.
| Polka Dot Dress - Gap | Striped Tights - Old Navy |
Some of our favorite items that my hustband and I don't believe you could ever go wrong on, are the BabyGap pajamas, or jams as we call them, leggings, hats and onesies. The jams (one piece or two) fit so snug and nice! They also have super cute prints and patterns for every season.
I loved these gray shorts with the attached tights so much, I bought them in the 3-6 and 6-12 month sizes.
| BabyGap Pajamas - last season |
Baby shoes are so adorable, but not super practical and Kensi would never keep them on when she was itty bitty. She does much better now that she's getting bigger. I really like the look of footed one pieces, but they just don't work for Kensi. She somehow always seems to lose her legs inside and becomes a mermaid with both legs in one pant leg. I really don't know how she manages to do it, but she does.
Kensi also has a pair of the BabyGap denim jeans, shorts and skirts. The shorts haven't yet been worn, but she wore her skirt last fall and has been wearing her jeans more and more.
These are from Carters, but see what I'm talking about with the mermaid legs? The poor girl couldn't move!
I know Gap can seem expensive, but I think we've bought maybe two items at full price. Gap is constantly having sales whether in the store or online and if you're not buying something that's on sale, then wait a few days, because you'll run into a sale at least once during the week if not more. I also have a GapCard which for me is totally worth it because we buy most of Kensi's clothes from there, it just gets paid off after each purchase and bonus you get additional sales and promotions for being a card member.....you also get money back to use in the store!
| Striped Dress |
She wore it as a dress for the first few months, but once it started getting small in length, we wore it as a top with some leggings.
So if you haven't yet, head on over to BabyGap and just check it out!
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