Easter Scenes

Just a few beautiful Easter memories:

The sun is finally out here.... It is a welcome sight!

Now if it will only warm up a bit, I would be very happy.

In other blog news, I am trying to work on "paying" writing assignments,

so my hope is to update this blog once a week for now. 

Keep checking back -- it always means so much to that I see people reading.

Enjoy your week!

Counting Easter Blessings

Happy Easter Week! It's a busy time. I'm trying to juggle a lot lately, so blogging continues to take a back seat. I wish I could spend more time here, but alas, life gets in the way. 

My tween has been busy-busy; she is currently getting ready for her school's Invention Convention and is involved in her school play, so I'm trying to manage the additional activities in addition to our regular happenings. 

And now the Easter Bunny is getting ready to arrive! He's ready! He's finished his shopping! And we even have new baskets, as you can see in the photo above. I have been really wanting to splurge on the Pottery Barn baskets personalized with the kids names, but it would cost a small fortune for a once-a-year use for three kids, so I have resisted. I recently came across these baskets at Michael's,  and they were priced at 40 percent off. They cost me $25-ish for all three, and I think they are a cute look-a-like. I bought the little tags in the dollar area, and tied them on for an additional accent. I would love to figure out how to add their names to the little glitter wooden shapes, but I'm still working on that.

The baskets are not huge, but that's OK -- neither is the Easter Bunny's budget! My Easter rule is that the Bunny only brings what fits in the basket. Easter is not extravagant nor crazy-candy filled -- I'm sure the bunny will drop off things like Annie's bunny-shaped crackers, a small necklace, a toy car or two, a book or DVD, etc. A half-dozen inexpensive items with a chocolate bunny or two in the mix. Oh, and he hides a few plastic eggs around the house, with coins or small candy treats or little items. A half-dozen eggs per child is the basic rule of our Bunny visitor.

If you are still searching for last-minute Easter ideas, feel free to click on these links to my articles on Yahoo Voices: 

• Easter Books for Kids
• Babka, An Easter Bread Tradition
• The Tradition of Hot Cross Buns
• Easter Baskets for Teens & Tweens
• Easter Baskets for Toddlers
• Frugal Easter Traditions for Families

I've tried to create helpful content for you! And everything I write is from my own experience and interests. In fact, I'm hoping to put my Babka recipe to good use tomorrow; we've read Easter books on a daily basis; enjoyed hot cross buns; cookie baking and egg dying (in my "frugal" article) will happen in the next two days too. I hope to make this recipe:

Source: yourhomebasedmom.com via Kellie on Pinterest

It's Bunny Cookie Bark, and you can find the recipe here. It's another Pinterest discovery, of course. My love affair with Pinterest continues!

I hope you have a Happy Easter. I know that I have been counting my blessings more than usual lately. And I am officially sick of winter. There is still bits and bobs of snow on the ground here in New England, and I am really ready for sun, gardens, flowers, green grass and warmth. It's time, Mother Nature!

See you next week! Enjoy your holiday, and cherish every moment with your loved ones.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My goofy kids on St. Patrick's Day, 2012

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

I know I've been slightly absent from posting lately, but I've been busy, and I have many work assignments so this type of writing has taken a backseat to the "paying" jobs. Please continue to check in. I may not post every weekday for a while, but I will update regularly.

If you are still looking for some St. Patrick's Day ideas, here's my post from last year.

In the meantime, savor your corned beef and cabbage, wear some green, and take time to enjoy some blessings with your family!

Easter on the Brain

I've been writing a ton about Easter for Yahoo Voices:

• Easter Books for Kids
• Babka, An Easter Bread Tradition
• The Tradition of Hot Cross Buns
• Easter Baskets for Teens & Tweens
• Easter Baskets for Toddlers
• Frugal Easter Traditions for Families

Click on the links to read each story. I've tried to create helpful, interesting content.

Easter is not far off. I'm ashamed to say I haven't been shopping for basket trinkets yet, but I will step it up soon. The kids and I put out the Easter decor last weekend, replacing snowmen and hearts with bunnies and chicks. Our Valentine tree turned into an Easter tree.

I'm starting to get sick of dreary winter. Looking forward to spring, outdoors and gardens...

A Mom's Guide To... Valentine's Day

I love this little jar!
I would love to make something similar.

Source: houseofhumble.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Valentine's Day is coming! Are you excited? Focus on being with those you love, big and small.

And as far as Valentine decor goes... well, I am a sucker for pink and red. I love it.

As soon as the New Year arrives and the Christmas decor is packed away, I take out a few Valentine items to mix in with the leftover snowmen and snowflakes. Of course, we have our Valentine tree:

White tree, red and white ornaments that are not Christmas-y. I have white lights on every night when we are watching TV. So cozy! And the nutcracker on the left is carrying a sled in one hand and has hearts on him. He is a cute "winter" decoration, not just Christmas.

We also have this cute Little People set:

It was Big Girl's, and it's fun to pull it out every year. I wish we had more "holiday" Little People sets, especially now with the twins. At least they are festive and kid-friendly if you choose to put them on a shelf. (You can also see a kid-friendly Valentine pillow behind it. It has Cupid on it.)

Earlier this year I found a cute Valentine banner kit in Target:

It was only $1, and I had Big Girl work with the twins to complete it one night while I as making dinner. It came out cute, and I hung it across the top of our kitchen chalkboard. She was so good with them and it kept them busy at "the witching hour," which is what I call the 4:30-6 p.m.-ish time where I am making dinner and everything falls apart. I must write a post on this in the future!

But back to Valentine's Day! There are so many great little ways to celebrate. I don't believe in making other holidays like the grand gift-giving that goes on at Christmas. Hubby and I have stopped the V-Day gift giving, but I do give the kids tiny treats. This year, I found little felt bags at Target's Dollar Spot, and each has three treats: a small heart-shaped candy box, stickers (or a small notepad for Big Girl) and one tiny, tiny toy. Except for the toy, each thing was $1 each. The toy ranges from a 97-cent Matchbox car for Buddy Twin to a $3 Disney Princess cell phone for Bunny Twin and a $4 Lego Friends for Big Girl. That's it. Not a lot of cash needed (we don't have a lot, anyway), but still tiny treats to celebrate our love for our kids. If you are still searching, check dollar stores and Target's Dollar Spot for great treasures. Our little heart candy boxes also came from Target, $1 on sale. This is just enough.

If you can't find the banner kit shown above, it's pretty easy to recreate it with scrapbook paper, stickers and string or ribbon. I also saw this great idea on Pinterest:

Source: etsy.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Isn't it cute? It's just playing cards and ribbon. This would be a great Valentine decoration that doesn't cost much, if anything, at all.

Of course, I also plan on making treats for the holiday. When Big Girl was little, I used heart cookie cutters to cute out frozen waffles, sandwiches, and just about anything. You could serve "red" food, like strawberries and apples, or make strawberry milk.

Or even simple Funfetti cupcakes are festive enough:

Big Girl, circa 2010, with Funfetti cupcakes for Valentine's Day.

It doesn't have to be fancy. Sometimes simple is better, right? I love this idea:

Source: butterwithasideofbread.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Valentine Chex Mix! Doesn't it look like a cute little treat? And it's not difficult. I also like this variation on a festive snack mix, called Cupid Crunch:

Source: plainchicken.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Both would be great to enjoy while watching Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.

You can also whip up a batch of this two-ingredient treat:

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Easy-peasy!

So those are just a few simple treats from my Pinterest findings.

As for the actual valentines? Big Girl wants to make her own, so we will be tackling that before the holiday. Our school doesn't allow food/candy anymore, so this limits our options tremendously. But I have a few ideas up my sleeve to suggest to her. Stay tuned!

A Mom's Guide To... Groundhog Day

Find more information on groundhogs on the National Geographic website.

It's time to turn our attention to Gobbler's Knob! It's almost Groundhog Day!

I just love this little holiday and all the sweet tradition behind it. The celebration of the day began with the Germans, Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. (Coincidentally, my ancestors are among those early German settlers.) The settlers brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day: "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May." The settlers realized that groundhogs were plentiful in their new land and were the most intelligent and sensible animal to carry on the legend of Candlemas Day.

Using animals to predict the weather is not unusual, so I am not surprised that our ancestors used this practice to carry on the Candlemas tradition. I know I've seen a furry caterpiller in the fall, or watched squirrels go crazy in the yard and think a bad storm or bad winter was coming. Or think of Charles Ingalls, Laura Ingalls Wilder's dad, who looks at the thick walls of the muskrat's house and predicts "The Long Winter."

Punxsutawney Phil will emerge from his hole on Feb. 2, and give us the same clues to the coming weeks. According to legend, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, we will have an early spring.

The town of Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s, with the first official trek to Gobbler's Knob in 1887. Phil was named after King Phillip.

There are many ways to celebrate the day with little ones. You can prepare them for the holiday by talking about shadows. Take them outside and let them make shadows on the driveway, or made shadow puppets with your hands on the walls. Let them play with flashlights and make their own shadows.

I love this little headband that kids can color to wear on Groundhog Day:

Source: kinderteacher.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Here are a few more great links with groundhog fun:

• This link has a great printable with a groundhog song that kids can color.
• The official site Groundhog.com, has a lesson plan with coloring pages, a crossword puzzle and a recipe for groundhog cookies, and much more.
• This is a great post on Toddler Approved featuring one family's Groundhog Day activities, with many great ideas for little ones.
• Enchanted Learning usually has great printables, including some for Groundhog Day.
• The Fisher-Price website has really cute groundhog coloring pages.

Or how about this snack?

Source: domesticatedlady.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Pinterest has numerous groundhog cookies, cupcakes and cakes which can be easily recreated. Make a themed treat for breakfast after the groundhog emerges from his burrow!

Older kids might enjoy this cute little drawing lesson:

Source: google.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Older kids might also enjoy the movie "Groundhog Day." It's OK, although there is one scene where Bill Murray tries to seduce a woman that might be questionable. The good thing about the movie is how it shows the crazy hoopla in the small town every February.

(Edited to add: "Groundhog Day" will air all day long on the American Movie Classics channel on Saturday starting at 10 a.m.)

Keeping the Spirit Alive

I refuse to take my Christmas tree down until the new year arrives. Ideally, I think it should be up until Jan. 6 -- Epiphany, or Little Christmas -- but at the very, very least, through New Year's Day. I insist the tree be up New Year's Eve, as the ball drops in Times Square. It's still Christmas at that moment.

Yesterday I took the tree down, and as much as I welcome the return to having the living room in order, I really miss the "festive" part. And the lights. There is nothing like watching TV at night with the little white lights shining.

We have a large TV armoire in our living room, and the top is decorated. I usually keep a string of white Christmas lights in this decor, with some floral/greenery, year round. This year I set our "Valentine Tree" up there.

I started the Valentine tree for the kids because it was so depressing taking the tree down. So we turned the little white tree into a Valentine tree, and today I continued that tradition, except it was set up high, out of prying toddlers hands.

So the holiday sparkle will continue for another holiday.

Goodbye 2012!

I'm glad 2012 is over. It wasn't a horrible year, but so many sad things happened at the end that it's nice to have a fresh start. We spent our last day of 2012 as a family -- a trip to local aquarium that was supposed to occur on the twins' birthday but never happened. I was so, so happy that we could fit this in during the holiday. For me, it was a special day.

Bunny Twin checks out twin Nemos and Dorys.

We visited the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn. We had visited here many times previously, but never with the little ones. It is one of Big Girl's favorite places to visit.

Big Girl watches the seal feeding from above.

In Connecticut, we have two aquariums: this one, and Mystic Aquarium. The latter is definitely a more popular destination, and although I enjoy its Beluga whales and penguins, the Norwalk aquarium is less crowded, making it a more enjoyable trip. And it has plenty to see and experience: Seals and sharks and giant sea turtles and sting rays and meerkats.

SHARK!!!

The Maritime Aquarium recently had a little makeover, and it was incredibly clean -- much more so than Mystic Aquarium, which has seemed rather shabby during recent trips. The Norwalk aquarium also gets a big round of applause for a recent kind gesture: They are giving free admission to all Newtown residents, Newtown teachers and Newtown first responders for 2013, as a gesture of kindness after the Sandy Hook tragedy. (Considering the admission price, that is a very generous gesture!)

Trying out turtle shells.

This was one of the first trips we have taken without a stroller. We decided to let the twins have a little freedom. Bunny Twin was much more well behaved than Buddy Twin, who did not want to listen and liked to throw himself on the ground whenever he didn't want to move from a location. Ah, the joys of being a parent of a toddler!

"He's looking at me!!"
Bunny Twin making friends with the fish.

However, in the end, I was pleasantly surprised at how well we all managed. It turned out better than expected, and everyone had a good time. Bunny Twin especially enjoyed the trip -- she is an animal lover and I think marine life fall into that realm as well!

My first attempt at the Pic Stitch app on my iPhone.
Not sure if I'm a fan yet.

For New Year's Eve, we did our usual family thing -- stay home and enjoy time together. Usually we watch movies, but this year Big Girl requested that we watch the "Cake Boss" marathon on the TLC channel, so we did. The twins went to bed on schedule, but the three of us stayed up to watch the ball drop in Times Square.

Cookies for our New Year's Day dessert.

New Year's Day was a visit to my parents house for dinner, and everyone is back on schedule today with school and work. I think today is actually harder for me than it was a few weeks ago after Sandy Hook -- having Big Girl home for so long has definitely spoiled me and I am sad to have her go back to school and away from us for the day.

For me, Christmas is officially over now. I am a firm believer in carrying the holiday spirit until New Year's Day -- the tree does not come down earlier! This week, it's time to start dismantling the decorations and cleaning up the toys and starting fresh. I have a lot of clearing out and decluttering to do, and hopefully I will share some progress with you.

Happy New Year!

Christmas at the Dollhouse

The dollhouse is decked our for Christmas! Big Girl and I decorated it the other night. As we were going through our decorations, we realized we need a new tree for the living room, so our little house is lacking a bit of Christmas cheer. The tree was just a bottle brush-style tree that you use in those holiday villages; most of them have snow on them, but this one didn't so we used it inside. I had strung a set of mini lights, also from those tiny village accessories on it, but both the tree and the lights have seen better days. I need to scope out a new one.

Here's the front door. The little sled by the front is an LL Bean ornament. Ornaments can be the perfect little things for dollhouses! This year, we have a new addition to the decor:

The little red wagon with presents inside is actually an ornament from the Sandra Lee line at Kmart. It's really a perfect little addition to the yard, don't you think?

Check out this, however:

Yes, that's a Leg Lamp in the living room window. Be careful, it's fra-gi-ley! (We just love "A Christmas Story," don't you? So retro, so cute.) The leg lamp was a stocking stuffer to my husband last year, who jokes that he wants one for our real living room window. Sure, it would be funny, but I can't get past my love of sweet, country Christmas stuff to actually put something like that my window. So we just got this for the dollhouse! It's actually a little porcelein hinged box. It's the perfect size, however. I only wish it would light up!

Have a merry "little" Christmas!

Gingerbread Village

Every year a little church near our house displays a giant Gingerbread Village. The church members spend months planning and creating elaborate houses. The houses are on display for one week only, during which visitors can purchase a house and pick it up at the end of the week-long event.

Big Girl always has a half-day of school during the week the village is on display, and this year was no exception. Bunny Twin joined our excursion this year; Buddy Twin was sleeping so we left him home with my mom. It was definitely a bit of a challenge to contain a toddler in the crowded gingerbread room, but we managed to leave unscathed!

The village is always so inspiring! This was my favorite house:

I love the little pretzel fence on this one, and the sheep are so cute!

Another adorable house -- love the windows!

A sweet barn:

It's always fun to check out all the different creations and see what they come up with each year. And believe it or not, admission to this event is free! They take donations, and the houses are, of course, for sale, with some sold for hundreds of dollars. The church also has a holiday bazaar and lunches available during the event. It's very popular; when we arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, there were three senior citizen buses in the parking lot. 

Do you have a gingerbread display in your area? 

TWINS TUESDAYS: "Little Bear" Birthday Fun

The twins' birthday is Saturday, so we had a little family party this weekend. Just immediate family -- grandparents, two aunts and uncles, and first cousins. Big Girl's birthday is in the summer, so in the past we always had elaborate picnics, with great aunts and great uncles and second cousins, but I've learned that bigger isn't always better.

Right now, simpler is better. Simpler means smaller. Simpler is less expensive. And this year, I decided to have the twins' birthday party on a Sunday morning, as a brunch. Easy-peasy, right? Morning means not needing beer or wine, or appetizers for that matter. I decided to make a large breakfast casserole, with shredded hashbrowns, eggs, peppers and onions, bacon and sausage. It was a modified version of this:

Source: bettycrocker.com via Kellie on Pinterest

I didn't follow the directions exactly. I used the recipe as a guideline; added sausage to the peppers-and-onions layer and the eggs poured on top; and made it twice as big. It came out pretty good, and everyone seemed to like it. I kept the buffet options light -- the casserole, some fresh bread, and a giant fruit salad prepared by my mom. Juices and coffee with assorted flavored creamers completed the beverage menu. For dessert, it was simple Funfetti cupcakes, with icing and sprinkles.

The kids love the television show "Little Bear" (as do I!) but since it is old, there is basically no merchandising to be found for this theme. Ebay has some items that are rather pricey, and that is not an option. So what's a mom to do? Make your own!

I created a half-dozen little cupcake picks with wooden skewers, scrapbook paper, and an image printed on the computer:

With the festive icing, and chocolate Teddy Grahams -- a stand-in for our favorite "Little Bear" -- and it was just enough of a theme to carry the day. A few other images printed on cardstock were hung in the kitchen.

Luckily, I was able to cull enough festive paper items, including napkins and plates, from my party goods storage, so there was no need to shell out money for those. I used plain red plates, with yellow "Happy Birthday" napkins. It all went well together. My one regret, but not a big one, is that I didn't get some party hats. I would love to have had little bear ears for the kids to wear.

If you are looking for more "Little Bear" party ideas, there are not many which I could find either by Googling it or searching Pinterest. However, these links might help:

• LittleToons.com has some great "Little Bear" free coloring printables that would make a great activity or a way to create decorations. There even a great "Little Bear" mask printable that would make a great party activity; print it on cardstock to make it sturdier before the kids color it!
• Nick Jr.'s website also has free coloring pages, as well as a Thank You note that you can easily print out.
• Peppers & Pollywogs has some good ideas in this post.
• I love this party post about making Birthday Soup, just like in the "Little Bear" story. The ideas of using honey bears as favors is also so cute!
• Using the "honey bear" idea, it would be great to find empty honey bear bottles and fill them with Teddy Grahams or gummy bears or something like that, wouldn't it?

If the twins were older, and had little friends to invite, I would love to use some of the ideas above. Who knows? Maybe there will be another "Little Bear" party in our future.

I am just happy that I was able to put together a very sweet little birthday brunch for my little twinkies on a budget. Twin Moms need that, don't they? Especially with December twins!

TWINS TUESDAYS: Traditions

Waiting to decorate gingerbread houses!

Last weekend, we ventured to my parents' house to make gingerbread houses. It's a tradition for Big Girl to make one with my mom every year, but this year we decided to pump it up and expand the tradition to the twins and their cousins.

The best kit to use is the one they sell at Costco by Make-A-Treat. It's so easy. We buy extra candy to decorate the houses. This year, my mom got two of those kits -- one for Big Girl and one for the oldest cousin -- and then she purchased a Wilton kit that had the pieces for several small houses. The twins decorated the tinier houses, since that was just their speed.

The twins' tiny houses.

It was definitely less calm than just Big Girl with her Grammy. The twins wanted to eat the candy once they realized there was so much in front of them.

Move over, Willy Wonka!

But we persevered and they turned out cute. It was fun to put a new twist on this tradition and expand it to the cousins as well. With two toddlers, it can be hard to do certain traditions, but don't be discouraged to try things out and twist their to suit your family. Eventually, the little ones get older and will be able to handle everything a little better, but they will always remember these fun times of their childhood!

Bunny Twin with her gingerbread creation.
Buddy Twin barely stopped moving so it was hard to capture him on film!

Another tradition of ours is driving around to see crazy holiday light displays. That's easy with twins, since you just strap them in car seats! We also watch many holiday movies, which have been introducing as well. I'm always looking for fun new traditions which don't break the bank and create fun memories. 

What traditions does your family celebrate each holiday season?