He's Back!!!

Well what do you know, it's that time of year again!  Turkey day is over, and most of the holiday shopping done on Black Friday, and we got our tree put up (though it still needs to be decorated).  You know what that means... when the tree goes up, Jingle our elf, comes back! 


The little one was very excited this morning when she saw he was back, and especially after she saw what he did!  

I'm sure we are in for some crazy antics from this little guy!  Stay tuned!

Taking the fear out of Eggplant

Eggplant is one of those veggies that has always scared me.  I like the color of eggplant.  Since the age of 2 years, purple has been my favorite color.  Still, the color itself could not get me to eat it.  As an adult, I am trying to learn to try new things, and yes, this includes veggies.  Eggplant has always intrigued me, but I have not had any idea as to how to cook it.  Until now.  

Thanks to Pinterest, and  A Spicy Perspective's blog, I have found the answer.  So I challenge you to give it a try..

Fried Eggplant:

The only ingredients you need are an eggplant (sliced to your liking), milk, flour, sea salt, olive oil.

After you slice your eggplant, give it a bath!  A milk bath, that is.  Soak the slices in milk OVERNIGHT.  This helps tenderize it, and makes it less spongey.  When you are ready to go, drain the milk from the eggplant slices, tap off extra moisture, cover in seasalt and flour, then pan fry in olive oil.  

Enjoy!

I actually got my 4 year old in on the action.  Her job was to cover the eggplant slices with flour.  She made a mess, but had a blast doing so!  

The finished product... And yes, they were delicious.  Even the 4 year old liked them!  

Good luck!

Sandy Toes

It's kind of been a tradition over the last few years, to take the family to the beach for our summer vacation.  Thanks to the generosity of friends who own a home just a few miles from the shore, we've been able to enjoy the shore comfortably.

Upon arrival at the beach, the kids like to make a stop at the infamous, Candy Kitchen.  This place is great.. full of every candy you could imagine, bright colors and extremely high prices!  But oh so fun to the eye..

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 Then, of course, we have to go by Sea Shell City to find all those amazing shells that you cannot find on the Maryland Shore..

Of course we do still search for shells on the beach...

I really wanted to take some "fun" shots this trip.  I'm still learning the new camera, so it's a process...

Also had to go for some artistic shots!

Preschool Teacher Gifts

Little A's last day of Preschool arrived today.  It's actually left my head spinning!  This school year has gone by so quickly, and I cannot believe that it has come to an end.  I look forward to the summer, and all the adventures it will hold, but yet I am sad and will miss her going to school twice a week.  She will also miss her friends.  

We contributed to the class gift for both teachers, but I really wanted to give them each something special from A as well.  So this is what I came up with.. hand decorated flowerpots (I didn't actually pot the flower, figured the teachers could do what they wanted).  Here is what we came up with:

I have to say that the rainbow one with the crayons is my favorite.  It came together very nicely.  They were both so incredibly easy!

Photography

I've always been interested in photography, and I've always loved taking pictures. Just ask my kids. We have pictures of just about everything in their lives. Yes, I'm THAT Mom. I don't care that I may look silly at times, carrying my camera around with me to every school event, or outing, as well as all family gatherings and events. Yes, my kids roll their eyes from time to time when I pull out the lens and tell them to pose. Only the little one poses on cue, and actually will pose on her own and ask me to take her photo.

I will not stop taking pictures anytime soon. In fact, as a Christmas present, my lovely husband bought us a new SLR camera. Beyond excited doesn't sum out how I felt about that gift! For Valentines day, he bought me a new lens. Yes, he hit a homerun there! Both my older girls play sports, and this lens is perfect for capturing the game. I love it so much, I capture the game for all the other players on their teams as well :).

So I've decided that I want to learn more about my camera, and all it can do. I'm a bit overwhelmed with it all. I seem to stick within my comfort level when taking pictures, and changing modes. I go for the automatic settings. I have set myself a goal to first find a great website with tips and tricks of the trade, and to assign myself different things to shoot, using the different camera settings. I'd love to take a photography class, but have neither the time or the money to do so. I have several friends who make a living from taking pictures of people, so I will just have to turn to them from time to time for advice. Though I'm guessing my lenses in no way compare to the ones they are using. Thats fine though. I'll make due.

Over the Easter weekend, my crew visited a local Botanical Garden. It was simply beautiful there. I tried my hand at taking some 'different' shots, instead of the norm... here's what I came up with. Keep in mind that ALL of these shots were taken using the automatic mode on the camera..

Yellow Tulips

The color of these tulips was so vibrant, I was hoping it would come across so in the photo, and it did! Love this shot, and actually am using it as my wallpaper on my phone!

Green Eyes

I think I got lucky with the lighting on this one, as I honestly don't know what I'm doing when it comes to lighting, etc. But I think the green foilage in the background really makes her eyes pop. This is totally UNTOUCHED.

Up Tree Shot

Wanted to look at the tree from a different perspective. My first thought when I saw this tree was, "Wow, I'd love to climb it!" Then I thought about taking the photo from the vantage point of what a child might see as they begin their climb. I think it turned out pretty cool.

Another Up Tree Shot

This tree was just breathtaking, and no other way to take the photo. Love how it came out!

Playing in the branches

I really love pictures that have a combination of in focus and blurry objects. I think it adds depth and character to a photo. I've been playing around more with this, and here is one of my favorites.

Easter 2012!

Not quite sure how it happened, but it did. Easter totally snuck up on me this year! I remember a few weeks ago, walking through Target and telling myself that I was going to have to come back one morning while the little one was in school, and shop for Easter basket fillings. Well that never happened. I did, however, pick up a few things here and there, THANK GOD! I dropped the ball so badly, that hubby and I were at the mall Saturday morning, before it opened, waiting for the Easter Bunny! Thankfully we went early, and didn't wait long.. Whew... crisis avoided..

Anyway, Easter went off smoothly, and all three girls were happy. Got the eggs dyed and hidden.. the little one had a blast with the egg hunt! Even tried out a new tradition this year. The little one planted "magic jelly beans" (any type will do) in the garden, in hopes that the Easter Bunny would come and sprinkle some magic on them and grow something wonderful... Here is the result:

Planting the "magic beans"

Look what grew!!! Lollipops!

Another tradition that we've been doing for years with the older girls, and now very excited to do it for the little one, is bunny tracks! Yes, that pesky, yet generous, Easter Bunny always seems to leave a little mess behind for me to clean up. But the kids love it so much, that I can sacrifice a little time to clean it up... Here you go... homemade Easter Bunny tracks...

These bunny tracks were made with a homemade stencil and baby powder! Easy to make, and easy to clean up!

HAPPY EASTER!

Spaghetti Hotdogs

Another crazy idea I saw on Pintrest, and I thought it was just silly enough that my 4 year old would like it. I was right! There were lots of giggles at lunch today...

INGREDIENTS:

Hot dogs of your choice

Spaghetti

Pot of water

DIRECTIONS:

Cut as many hot dogs as you desire into 3 sections (make sure you also cut off the ends). Break spaghetti in half and poke through the hotdogs. I boiled mine for 9 minutes, then drained.

Spaghetti Hot dogs!

A new addiction!

How many of you have heard of Pinterest? If you like to cook, are crafty, need home
decor/improvement ideas, ideas for your kids, tips on fitness, or just about anything under the sun, then you should check it out! Let's just say that I'm addicted. I'm a pinner. I find so many ideas that I LOVE, and I pin them. I'll likely never get around to trying out half of the things that I pin, but regardless, I pin them.

Recently I tried out one of the ideas I so eagerly pinned. Personalized outlet and switchplate covers. They are really easy. YOU CAN DO IT!

Here's what you need:

And a sheet of Scrapbook paper of your own choosing. The possibilities are endless!

Trace your outlet cover/switchplate on your scrapbook paper, and cut it out. Using a foam brush, coat the face of your plate with a layer of Modpodge, then lay your cut out on the plate. Secure so that it's centered. I let mine dry a few minutes, then coated it with another layer of Modpodge on top. Once dry, you can cut out the middle of the switchplate (I did so using an exacto knife).

Voila! Finished Project!

Rock Star Jacket

So there's this show on Nick Jr. that my now 4 year old simply adores. And I have to admit, I like it too. It's the Fresh Beat Band. If you have a little one that likes music and dancing, you should give it a try. I'm guessing you will be hooked. Sure, the acting is overdone, but the songs are catchy, the colors are bright and fun, and the characters are likable. It's a welcome break from the likes of Barney (which used to be a hit in our house, I must admit). This show is more current than it's competition, which is a big draw. I've even found my 12 year old watching it!

My main frustration with the show is the marketing. Or, should I say, the LACK of marketing. I know, I know, usually us parents get upset at the OVER marketing these companies display, just to make a buck. However, when you are trying to shop for Christmas and can't find a single thing (other than overpriced, homemade items on ebay & etsy), it becomes quite a pain in the $#%@!

One of the newest episodes of the show involves a "Rock Star Jacket". The band members, in song, tell the kids to "put your rock star jacket on..." Well it would be really nice if they would market thus said jacket, so that the kids could do just that! So imagine my delight when I see a post on the Fresh Beat Band's Facebook page, by a mom just like me, showing the FBB

community that she made her child a Rock Star jacket on her own! She was nice enough to share pictures and instructions.

"I can do that!", I think to myself. Then the hysteria sets in. I HAVE TO FIND THIS JACKET. It's available at Kmart. I search online. Nothing. I call my husband, who conveniently has a store near work, to check there. I, myself, drive to our local Kmart to search myself. To make a long story short, I find one. Not the size I wanted, but a Small will have to do (needed an XS). but considering these things are selling like hotcakes, and are on clearance, I cut my losses, and buy the small. Next up, the STAR...

Now to figure out how to put a star on the back, and front of the jacket. I'd like it if it resembled the ones on the show, and not like I actually made it. I end up buying the following supplies:

Tulip brand Iron on Transfer Sheets (I bought the one in the middle)

Tulip brand Fabric Glitter & Fabric Glitter glue (I bought the multi pack, for it was the only way I could get the color glitter I needed.. a minty green)

Next, I searched the web for a picture/graphic of a Star. Printed out the appropriate size for the front and back, traced it on the transfer paper, cut it out, and ironed it on the back of the jacket (each step is repeated for the front, as well). Took a while to get the transfer to actually stick, but a little patience goes a long way. Then I applied the glitter as a border around the star, and let dry for the 2 hours, as recommended. After repeating for the front, I had created our very own ROCK STAR JACKET!

My older two daughters gave the jacket to my now 4 year old, for her birthday. It was her favorite present of the lot. Here's a picture of her modeling her Rock Star Jacket, which she will happily wear when we see the Fresh Beat Band in concert in a few months. I just hope my craftiness was good enough, and the jacket holds up!