My Daddy Helps People

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Mae

Life in our house is returning to normal after the holidays Preschool is back in session and all our regularly scheduled activities have started back up. However, normal is about to become ‘different’.

We were blessed that Rand McNally was able to have nearly 2 straight weeks of vacation over the holidays. It was AWESOME. We did some fun things out and about, but mostly we enjoyed being home together as a family.

When McNally returned to work Peanut kept saying “I miss my Daddy.” She has the sweetest voice and hearing it reminds me of what the next year will be like.

Daddy is deploying.

It wasn’t something we had on our radar but it is going to happen. When McNally recently left on a trip to prep for this Tour, I explained to the girls that Daddy is in the Army to help people, and sometimes people in the Army have to go away.

I am not the only person who has had their husband deploy. In fact, this will be a second tour for us. However, it is our first with kids and that changes things.

I have been ‘Pinning’ all kinds of ideas and getting strategies to manage the next year from my MANY experienced friends. I figure as I come up with ideas and find things for our family I will blog about them to share with other families.

For starters, we have ordered both girls Daddy Dolls. These are great for a boy or a girl! You email them a full length photo of the Dad or Mom and they Photoshop the background out and create a doll with the picture. They are going to be amazing for the girls!!!

Here are some examples from their website!

Another fun thing my husband has been doing is recording a few of the Hallmark Recordable Story Books. You can purchase them at Walmart, Hallmark stores, even grocery stores! We bought a few of the Christmas ones on Clearance so we could record them and put them away for next year!

This is one of my favorite books and we will be getting it for the girls. Hearing McNally reading it will probably make me cry, but the words are PERFECT!

A perfect recordable book

I have a bunch of other ideas I plan to share here in the next few weeks. I am sad. The girls will be sad too. We haven’t told them. No point until we get closer. The military is constantly changing dates and times. We don’t want to them to worry that every time Daddy goes to work he is ‘leaving’. We are strong family and this will strengthen us.

Surviving Christmas: The 4 Gift Rule

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Mae

Yes, this is a post about Christmas in September. No I am not completely off my rocker. I am a planner I do my best to get the majority of things done early so I can enjoy the real reason for the season.

I have been trying to get ideas from the girls so I can start stashing things I find on sale! We have a new plan this year…. we are scaling back gifts.

Last year I really thought I did well I think each kid had maybe 10 gifts from Mom and Dad, 1 from their sister, and then their ‘Santa’ gift. It still felt like too much.

This year I am making it MUCH easier. We are sticking to the 4 Gift Rule!

Something you:

Want
Need
Wear
Read

We are going to stick to this rule for adults too! I am really excited about this. I don’t have to fret about what I am going to buy. I have already some ideas going for the kiddos.

Munchkin (Age 4):

W: Magformers- These awesome squares/triangles ect. that you can build 3D shapes with!

N: A star ‘turtle’ in pink

W: A dress for her and her American Girl Doll (Purple and sparkly of course!)

R: This is up for debate… she is reading so maybe some ‘easy readers’

Peanut (Almost 2):

W: Her own ‘laptop’. She would LOVE something to ‘type’ on!

N: Still thinking!

W: Not sure!

R: Tag Jr. Reader and Books (we actually have these from Munchkin but she will LOVE them!)

So what is on your Christmas Lists?

Kid-Friendly Egg Dying

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Mae

So besides the obvious Jesus’ Resurrection, Reese’s Peanut- Butter Eggs and Jelly Beans; egg dying is a HUGE Easter tradition.

You can find about ANY type of dye kit these days. There are HUNDREDS of ideas on Pinterest on how to make the most beautifully decorated eggs.

Now I am going to be completely honest with you. We usually get a box add our vinegar and scribble with crayons and voila EGGS! So don’t expect me to give you some AMAZING decorating techniques.

I am however going to give you something I learned when Munchkin was MUCH younger. The coolest kid-friendly Easter Egg dying technique.

Behold the wire whisk!

Simple and yet SOOO amazing!

You know the cheap wire ‘egg holders (droppers)’ that come in the kits. They are SUPER kid friendly. They really aren’t even adult friendly! I read on a parenting message board about using the wire whisk.

Last year we did and we will NEVER attempt to let Munchkin use an Egg Dropper again!

What you need:

Wire Whisk(s)

Egg Dye in Plastic Drinking cups

You choice of crayons, stickers, other things that make eggs pretty (see Pinterest!)

Note the plastic drinking cups allow for more dye coverage

This is so simple. Place the Egg inside the wire whisk. Allow the toddler/preschooler to dunk the egg in the cup. Wait until the Egg reaches the desired color and then remove.

Removing the egg from inside the whisk can be messy but isn’t too terrible. This should be done by an adult. Rinse whisk before switching dye colors.

Munchkin waiting for the right hue on her egg

This was fun and easy to do. It really allows the toddler to be a much more ACTIVE egg dyer!

Success!! A pretty Easter Egg!

I hope you have fun this Easter! This is Rand McNally’s favorite holiday, and the day he officially asked me to be his girlfriend a LONG time ago . Enjoy your family and friends this weekend!

Can I Eat a Successful Meal at a Restaurant with a Toddler?

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Mae

Here is the answer you wanted… YES! A local store asked this question and I was quick to respond with an answer. I decided to elaborate with a full post on the topic!

The key to a perfectly lovely meal in public with your toddler is to set your child up for success in a restaurant environment.

Munchkin is 3 1/2 (how did this happen!) and she has only been removed (by us) from a restaurant one time (we found out the next day she was SUPER sick- double ear infections/bronchitis ugh!). I think it is VERY important to set your child up for success out in public. Set the boundaries early and you won’t have to do much to have a well behaved child in public. I have taken the girls a bunch by myself and they both behave well (most of the time!).

Here are my tips that have worked over the last almost 4 years!

Do Not Attempt a Meal when your Child is Tired

I don’t care how hungry everyone is… this is why some one invented the drive thru. No kiddo is going to happily sit through a meal if they are overtired. I would also NEVER attempt a full shopping trip at the grocery store when they are that tired either. This can happen at nap time or bedtime.

Do your best to get to the restaurant before you child believes he/she is starving!

Is your child actually starving.. no! But haven’t we all been there… believing there was no way the waitress was going to make it to our table before we ate our arms off! Now explain to a toddler who has limited verbal skills that the sweet guy or gal is doing their best to get the food out. We try and get to a restaurant around 11/11:30 or right around 5pm to avoid the busy times too.

Bring snacks!

See above… It is quite possible you have a starving child on your hands. Having your own provisions to avoid this is key. Cherrios, squeeze apple sauce, anything will do. This should give the waitress/waiter time to find some bread to entertain your kiddo for a minute or two!

We LOVE these in our house! Both girls can eat one in about 2 minutes

Order your Kids Meals ASAP

We always order the girls’ meals with our drink order. This gives them a start on it in the kitchen. Also, tell the wait staff to please bring out their meals first!

This Menu is from LoneStar Steakhouse ... looks yummy!

Entertainment is Crucial to Success

You can’t expect idle chatter to entertain your toddler. Nor can you expect 3 crayons and paper menu to be the golden ticket. We had a bag of quiet toys that could be easily wiped clean ready to go in the car at all times. Some favorite toys are- puzzles, links with toys attached, color wonder markers, little plastic figurines (any character your kid likes), some little matchbox cars, extra crayons and paper , stickers, mini Slinkies, and some books. These toys may seem run of the mill but… they are special because they are only in the bag! A dollar store/bin is a great place to find most of these items. Let’s face it they will be near food and it is highly likely they will end up in ketchup. Plus, if you forget one at a restaurant it isn’t a huge deal.

These markers are great because they can't stain fabrics or wood!

Smart Phones, Tablets, and iPads OH MY!

I am going to start this by saying I have a smart phone and a tablet, Munchkin has an Innotab kid’s tablet. So I am in NO way against kids using technology! But there is a time and place for everything! I have had the occasional meal where things moved slower than molasses. However, a typical meal is on the table within 15-20 Minutes. So if you pack a bag of toys there should be plenty for your kiddo to stay occupied during the wait time. Munchkin rarely gets to use my phone. However, she enjoys a puzzle app and some matching games from time to time. This usually happens when I am finishing up a conversation or my meal. She doesn’t watch movies on it because I want her to be part of the family… kids should be able to talk and communicate during the meals too!

The iPhone

What do I do if all of the above fails…

Nothing is fool proof… there I said it! Now before you start mumbling “I thought she said we could have a successful meal out with our toddler”… give me a second to explain. There will be a time or two your child will test you… even if you have set him/her up for success. This is when you provide the Exit Strategy. Yup I said it… EXIT! There is no point tainting someone else’s dining experience. Let’s be honest you aren’t enjoying your food either if your kiddo is acting this way.

The way I see it… You have two options:

1. Get everyone’s food to go. If you are with your spouse/or a friend remove the child, while boxes are packaged and the bill is paid. You will feel much less stressed eating your burger reheated at home instead of fighting off glares from the booth next to you.

2. This works great if you have multiple children… Have one parent take the offending child to the car. They can eat there. While the other parent is in the restaurant with the other children. Now my parents did this with us when we were little (I ate in the car at Friendly’s and my sister had to at the Coach Diner- Left a LASTING impression on me over 20 years later I can vividly remember it!). My parents then rewarded the behaving child with a dessert! They didn’t say you earned this… but guess what?!? When we got into the car we were soo excited to share. Made the other sibling think twice about misbehaving in the restaurant. Never know what you are going to miss out on… when you are eating in the car!

What are some of your tips or tricks for eating out at a restaurant with kids?

A Birthday Party for Peanut!

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Mae

As I mentioned in a previous post Peanut turned one last month! How it happened is beyond me but we celebrated her special day yesterday. I love to plan parties and throw them. I was raised in a house where Birthday Parties were always a big to do. So I am going to blame my parents for my obsession with the ‘perfect party’.

I decided a few months ago that we were going to have an owl them for Peanut. She is still too little to really have any true likes. She isn’t in to TV or any certain characters. So I took the liberty of planning her a super special Owl party!

I found a great location at a local community center which worked GREAT! There was a cute Barn in the room and the walls were painted in a barn motif too! The best part it was reasonable in price and would be safe for Peanut. I was afraid of having her party at some other popular locations because she might get smushed since she is such a peanut!

It all started with a Google search.. Owl Invitations. The images were endless, but I came up with this super cute one! I called my super crafty sister and asked her if I thought we could come up with something similar.

On the back were all the juicy details! As I mentioned in an earlier post we offer a donation suggestion in Lieu of Gifts. This year we chose The Pajama Program. I included these details on the bottom of the party information section with the needs of the Pajama Program.

I looked a ton of Owl Themed plates but decided on these cute plates from Celebrate Express. I ordered the dessert plates and a couple of Balloons to match. I used light blue table cloths, bright pink plates, green and orange cups, and purple silverware.

I decided on a party during lunch time. Peanut usually is awake and happy during this time which is key for a one year old. This meant we needed to plan a meal. I thought about pizza but decided I would make it easier on some friends who have a dairy allergy. So I made a make your own sandwich buffet! It went over very well It was really easy to do and a great non-pizza option.

Check out the awesome walls!!

We did two crafts at the party! Since Peanut has an older sister I figured that would keep her and her friends busy. They love crafts and all go to preschool. I found this great paper bag owl craft online. She had templates which were AWESOME! So definitely check her out. I used craft paper that I had in my scrapbook stash which made things cheaper. I grabbed some paper bags at the dollar store and the kids really enjoyed it.

The second craft my friend Jennifer from Mosk Momma found at JoAnn Fabrics. During Christmas time they had wood ornaments that could be painted or colored. I got them for a STEAL… Less than .50 a piece. Each kiddo got to make their own. They used good old crayola markers. Here is a picture of Peanut working on her Owl with some help

Now I have a love for cupcakes if you haven’t noticed from reading this blog. So I will be doing a separate post on them soon! However, I will give you a peek at how cute they were! It was my first time dabbling with Marshmallow Fondant and I think you will see more soon. It wasn’t as awful to work with as I thought it might be. I made homemade Funfetti cupcakes that were pretty tasty and so easy to make.

The cute owl on the right was a mouse pad in the dollar bin at Target!!!

A sweet friend made Peanut’s Smash cake. She totally rocks! It was adorable and Peanut did a fantastic job smashing it to pieces

Here is the smash cake…

The last detail from the party was the Party favors. I really wanted to find something that was owl-y and usable. Every kid loves favors but they are usually expensive cheap toys. That is they work out to be about $5-$10 a kid and are toys that don’t last long once they go home. I spent HOURS looking for something and came up with crayon tote bags. Sue from SewnJust4U made my life so much easier! She made the process painless and her work is amazing!

I made a cute little coloring book with Owl images I found online and included it.

We had 3 bitty ones at the party and my AWESOME sister made cute owl crinkle taggies for them!

Inside the crayon totes were these treat bags. I was pretty proud of myself because I was able to recreate the owl face on my own! As you can see in the photo above I gave the little one cereal instead of gummy bears.

So there you have it… the ins and outs of Miss Peanut’s first birthday party! She had a wonderful time, we collected a ton of donations (more on this to come) and everyone seemed to leave with a smile on their face. I call that a success!