Lobster Birthday Party with Guest Blogger Angela From The Mommy Stories

 

 

Looking for some great party ideas? My sister, Angela, from the Mommy Stories just threw her son (my big guy nephew, Owen) a lobster themed one, in honor of my dad's profession: a Maine lobster man.  Thanks, Angela, for showing us how to put the party all together, while keeping to a budget.

My little guy is FOUR!

We knew early on in the year that he'd have an ocean party fit for a lobsterman's grandson. Yes, that's right, my father is a true Maine lobsterman.

My son is pretty obsessed with his lobster traps, bait, and of course those old bugs, lobsters! He's into the boat the most. We visit several times a year on Frenchboro Island in northern Maine, off the coast of Bar Harbor.

We HAD to have a party like this because of his interest, but also because my son's middle name Joseph is after his Papa (and my stepdad, grandfather and then my brother's middle name, but who's counting?!). It was super fun to honor my father's career as a lobsterman through this party. I told him he was the guest of honor. 

My handsome guy FOUR years old!

We visited the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine in Portland just before Christmas and my son didn't leave the real lobster boat the entire time. He loved it so much! It had a hauler to haul up the traps of lobsters. There is also a touch tank upstairs with star fish and snails, etc. There is a large whale hanging from the ceiling, a pirate ship out back, and another speed boat to ride on. It's a perfect place for an ocean party. He is also very into make believe lately and pretending he's a real worker, so it was an awesome location.

We always have had parties at our house, and with an immediate family of 30+ that doesn't leave room for inviting any other friends. So this year we were excited to do it at a larger place to invite a few extended cousins. We still tried to keep it to just family since it gets expensive with the party packages and paying per person at the Museum, but it was fun for my son to be able to invite a few more people to his party to play with him.

I start all birthday party brainstorming with some good old Pinterest searches.

Here is my board that I created with ideas for this party. I hope you check it out, because there were TONS more ideas that I did not implement. I chose to keep this party slightly simple since the atmosphere of having the party at the Museum was going to be enough. The kids barely were in the party room, they ran around the Museum so much playing and having fun. So check out the board for more ideas, especially if you're having the party at home.

www.pinterest.com/angelaavery78/owens-4th-lobsterman-ocean-party/

I have to say I had a difficult time finding ideas specifically for what I was looking for. I found one lobster party... one. All others were swimming, pool, sea life, pirate, etc. type parties. I had to get a little creative.

I sent an Evite email invitation with this wording:
"Owen's turning FOUR, and he would like to SEA you out on the ocean with him catching lobsters and fish.

Join us at the Portland Children's Museum for some make believe fun, with lobsterman Owen. Check out the live turtles and fish tanks, steer the real lobster boat and haul some traps, even touch a live starfish or sea urchin. Our lobster boy will show you the ropes!

We'll have fishy snacks, lobster cookies, and ocean water to drink. Come have fun - and of course prepare to work a little with Captain Owen!"

I was given by my wonderful friend Jessie Legere some fish and ocean bowls, signs, a table cloth and banner (that I didn't use because the Museum had already put this blue one down and written on the chalkboard), etc. So I went with her colors of blue and greens as ocean colors.

I found those fun polka dot napkins at Wal-Mart. My son decided the day before the party he HAD to have party cone hats, so Jake and the Neverland Pirates hats it was (Wal-Mart, $2.50 for pack of 8).

We did minimal food, just snack type things, because we knew the kids would be so busy in the Museum. The focus was not on the food, but on the activities. So we had the following food:

Tortilla chips and Goldfish crackers = fish and chips

Salsa = seaweed

sea cucumbers = cucumber slices

buoys = cantoloupe balls and grapes 

Pirates Booty

Shamu Whales cheese crackers

However, check out the Pinterest board I made, TONS of cute ideas for food if you were doing this at lunch time or not at a busy Museum like we did (Goldfish cracker shaped bread for sandwiches!)

Ocean water and grape juice

For treats we had confetti vanilla-based cupcakes with aqua blue frosting (that came with little fishies, which I didn't know until I got home from the store! Score!), topped with a Sweedish fish.

The birthday boy requested a chocolate cake, so we used the same aqua blue frosting, along with some gummy lobsters from Yummees candy store in Kittery, Maine.  (Don't worry, they ship, if you are having a Maine-themed party outside of southern Maine!).

For gift bags for our little guests my husband helped me make these lobster bags. Yes, they took about an hour with both of us cutting out those claws, but they were too cute not to make so we did it! I got the red bags, pipe cleaners and googley eyes for $3 at the Dollar Tree, then we found lobster pictures online and my husband copied these and cut them out.

 

Inside the treat bags we put a small bag of Pirates Booty, bag of whale and sea cheese crackers, a gummy candy stick of sea life creatures that my husband randomly found at BJs (so excited!).  I printed some coloring pages off of the computer (boats, sea creatures, lobsters, lighthouse, etc.). I always like to include things like that so if kids wanted to color at the party they could, for some quiet down time, but also as a fun way to really send home the theme of the party.

Then, my favorite part of the party, was the Sea Fish Bar (not sure what else to call this!). I found this idea on Pinterest, of putting out the various types of Goldfish crackers and letting kids fill up a bag of them. I then added in other treats to go with the lobsterman theme. Loved how this turned out!

Although, I'll admit, at a big busy Museum party it wasn't a great idea, only a handful of people actually filled up treat bags, they were too busy running around and playing. I ended up making up little treat bags for the kids to take home.

I got all the little red containers at the Dollar Tree for $2 total. 

I was so excited at Christmas time when I found these Goldfish cracker small plastic bags in New York, totally randomly. They were perfect! 

Herring = Sweedish fish 

We had such a great time! My little lobsterman loved his party, cake, singing happy birthday to himself, and of course all of the make believe at the Museum.

We had the kids go play while we set the party room up (you only get 2 hours in the room, setting up and cleaning up included). They played about 45 minutes, then came to the party room where we had snacks ready for them. We sang happy birthday, blew out birthday candles, served up cake and cupcakes, then moved right into the presents so we could get them back out to play more for the last hour or so of the party. It worked pretty well.

We asked people to sign the L is for Lobster book. It's fun to have books filled with notes from loved ones on our book shelf. I threw that in as a last minute idea, and so glad I did.

The birthday boy with his lobsterman grandfather! 

My husband found these adorable T-shirts at the last minute when he was picking up the lobster gummy treats. It's winter in Maine, not many tourists wanting summer lobster T-shirts, so they let him get one get one free, so 4 shirts for $20! So excited.

(exhausted at the end of the party. Not to self: take family picture BEFORE the festivities next year!)

My husband's says "Got lobstah?" Mine says "Crustacean Nation" and the kids had MAINE lobsters on theirs. 

A very (busy, hard working!) HAPPY birthday boy!

FREE KNITTING PATTERN Basic Knit Infinity Cowl

I've been promising more free patterns, and at last, I'm here to deliver! Consider this my Valentine's gift to you.  I've made a lot of these for my shop and I love the one I made for myself.  This is a very basic pattern and you can customize it really any way you'd like.  Any yarn would work, just be sure to adjust your needles to fit the yarn.  (I used a size 4 yarn).


Like the cowl, but don't knit? No problem! I'd love to make you one.  Head on over to Crooked By Design and check out this listing.  Use code KNAPTIMEKNITTER and you'll get 15% off.


Needles: Size 11 (8mm)
CO: 34 (you can adjust this to any number, depending on how wide/bulky you want it)
Knit every row until it measures the desired length.  This one was 38" long.  Cast off and leave a long tail for seaming.

This knit has a lot of stretch, so it may look a little short when you hold it up, but as long it wraps around your neck twice, its good.  I like mine not too bulky so it fits with a coat nice, but if you want it longer, bulkier, etc. just adjust the number of rows you knit.  Likewise, if you want it to only wrap around once, instead of double wrapped like this one, adjust for that as well by knitting less rows.

After binding off, lay it flat and twist in the middle like this:

And then line up the edges for seaming:

Seam the edges together (if you're unsure of how to seam, check out this hat pattern tutorial for details):

 

You're done!! Congratulations on your new cowl.

*You may sell items made from this pattern, but please refer back to this post on your listing*

Be sure to give a shout if you have any questions at all.  Happy Knitting!

Your Pins Tested! Gluten Free Banana Bread

I love LOVE love banana bread, but they can be tricky with gluten free because they dry out so quick.  Not that they ever last long in my house, but it is very annoying when its dry.  I've tried a bunch of recipes and this one was really yummy.  When I started making it, I was happy find that it actually makes two loaves, which is perfect for my house, where it goes quick.

This recipe comes from the Taste of Home and can be found at this Pin.  As always, I used what I had handy, so I drifted from the recipe a little.
*recipe was taken directly from the original post

What you'll need: 
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
4 eggs 
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium) 
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used Cinnamon)
1/3 cup canola oil (I used vegetable)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I skipped these)

What to do:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each). 

The first loaf was gone in a day, but the second one, I let cool, sliced and put it in the freezer in a freezer bag.  When a piece is wanted, just take it out and microwave for 30 seconds or so.  This helps it to not dry out so much and maintain its yumminess.


 

Your Pins Tested! Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

 I am not a baker.  I never was good at it, and being gluten free makes it that much harder.  But recently, I have invested more time in learning and trying out recipes.  Muffins are a challenge with gluten free because they often don't have the texture we crave from "normal" muffins and dry out very quickly.  I found this recipe from this Pin and decided to give it a go.

*I see a lot of recipes that call for multiple flours, or more pricey ingredients, and though I imagine they are a delight to eat, they aren't in my grocery budget, so I liked that this recipe had ingredients I am likely to already have.

The original recipe can be found here, and I have copied it directly from them.

What you'll need: 

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon xanthan gum 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1/2 cup whole milk (I used 2%) 

2 large eggs 

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I used about a tbsp of lemon juice instead) 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 1/2 cups Driscoll's Blueberries   

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter or grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt in a medium bowl until blended. Whisk together butter, milk, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Stir in flour mixture until partially moistened. Fold in blueberries until evenly mixed. Batter will be thick, do not over stir.
3. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.
4. Bake 10 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to bake about 10 minutes longer or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 3 minutes. Serve warm or remove to wire rack to cool completely.

I am on a limited carb diet for gestational diabetes, so I liked that this recipe included nutritional information.  In case you are following a similar diet, there are 31.41g of carbs in a muffin.

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These came out really nice, and they actually looked good which is hard to do with gluten free.  Well, it's a challenge for me, maybe not so much for other people!  One way to keep them from drying out super quick is to let them cool, and put them in freezer bags to toss in the freezer.  When you want one, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and they will be delicious and keep better. One thing you don't want to do is waste anything gluten free, because it's just too expensive!

*I'm Blushing*

This month, I was honored with being nominated the Mom of the Month over at the Mommy Stories! 

The Mommy Stories is all about motherhood, from room decorating, to tips on bringing home a new baby, and stories from real moms.  My sister, Angela, runs it and started the Facebook group awhile back and it has grown to almost 1,000 members!  

Many thanks to the Mommy Stories members for this honor!

Here's my life as a mom (as taken from her post, with permission):

 

 Mom of the Month - Amanda McCarty!

Another year of Mom of the Month recognition, and we're starting it off in a great direction, featuring my very own younger sister, Amanda McCarty (or "Min," as I named her when I was 3 years old when she was born!).

I have a rule with the Mom of the Month nominations... I can't nominate anyone myself. It's just not fair - despite the zillions of months I WISH I could nominate on the Mommy Stories! So, when a couple of people asked me to feature my sister on the blog, I was ECSTATIC! She's an amazing person, hardest working mother I know. She does it all... cooks real meals, cleans nonstop, sews everything I ever have a hole in, has an incredible home business... and above all, finished her college degree despite some derailing in her life. PROUD is an understatement of how I feel about my sister.

So happy to feature her here for you. I know you will learn lots from her, most importantly how to be REAL and down-to-earth, enjoying the small mama moments of life. She's even provided you with some great recipes!

ENJOY! Congrats, Amanda! (OK, can't call you that... MIN!)

1. Describe your child in 3­-5 words.

Kind, smart, inquisitive, imaginative, adorable

2. When was your child born and where?
Atticus was born in Dover, NH in 2010, at the same hospital I was born. 
Baby #2 will be born in Glens Falls, NY in 2014.

3. How would you describe your pregnancies?
With Atticus, it was so easy. I waitressed at two restaurants up until 8 1⁄2 months and other than some back pain, it was an easy pregnancy. This time around, it’s easy again, but I am much more tired, being home with my 3 year old and running my small business from home.

4. Describe yourself as a mom in 3­-5 words. 
Obsessed, crafty, DIY, rules­-based, in love.

5. What type of mom do you hope your child thinks you were someday when he's old enough to tell you?
I hope my son (and daughter when she is born/older) thinks of me as a mom who was there for them, no matter what. We are very open with his questions, even if they are awkward (like, “how did the baby get in the belly?” or “why don’t you have a penis?”) and I never want them to feel uncomfortable talking to me or my husband. I hope we are always as close as we are now. (He’s three, so I have a feeling he may get sick of me at some point!).

6. What things have you done as a mom that you're most proud of?

I recently finished the degree I had started years ago, and had to put on hold when I had Atticus. It took many years, but I finally did it and I am very proud of that accomplishment. If I can do it, truly anyone can. Being a mom doesn’t mean you can’t be a student, however untraditional. 

I’m also really proud of little man my son is becoming. He is so loving, and considerate of others and most importantly, he has manners. I am so proud of the person he is, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the future.

7. What have been the most difficult parts to being a mom?
Probably having to spread myself very thin. I balance a lot of things in a day, and have done so even more recently as my husband has just began his military career and is gone a lot. 

Finding the balance between being me, Amanda, the person, the mom, the wife, the small business owner, the friend, aunt, sister, daughter, etc. is at times a struggle. But I’ve learned that if I’m doing my best, that is good enough for me. I’m realistic with my expectations of myself and if I can’t do it all, that’s ok with me.

8. What is your favorite baby product(s) that makes your mom job easier?
I’d love to say something groundbreaking, something that shouts “wow! what a great mom!” but my son got an Innotab tablet a year ago, and that little piece of technology has really become my

friend these days when I need to get something accomplished. That and the iPad. (I have a degree in Media Studies and Communications, so I am very pro­screen time, in moderation). I can tell Atticus to play his ABC game on the tablet or iPad and he goes right to it, and practices his letters, or “reads” his e­book. It’s amazing what kids have these days! And it’s even more amazing the things I can accomplish in that small window of time he is occupied.

9. What advice about being a mom would you give to a brand new mother?
Of course, the obvious, enjoy your baby, because they won’t be babies long. I felt like when I was a new mom, I was doing what a lot of other moms do, and waiting for the next step or milestone, but I think it's important to enjoy each moment with your tiny person, because they really do grow up so fast. 

Also, always remember that YOU are the mom, not your mother, or mother­-in­-law, or friends. Don’t let others tell you how to parent your child, and go with your gut. Ask questions, read books, ask other parents, but at the end of the day, do what you (and dad, of course!) see fit.

10. What is a typical day like for you?
We really don’t have a typical day, in the traditional sense of keeping a schedule. My husband is in training for the Army, so lately Atticus and I have been without him and this has thrown us off a bit. 

We usually get up around 8, he does his chore of feeding the dogs, and letting our cat out. We do potty, breakfast, tv time. Then it's errand running, and getting out of the house. 

When we get back from whatever the day holds, it's “resting” time (since naps are non existent these days) where he reads a book quietly or plays quietly. In the early afternoon we usually do something together, even if it's just folding laundry, just to have a little together time. We like to craft, or bake or paint, and then make dinner together. Then it's bath, snuggle couch time with a little tv time, books and the attempt of getting him to bed, which is nearly impossible these days.

11. Since it's January, what are your New Year's Resolutions? Specifically, what is one thing you hope to focus on and achieve as a mom this year?

My main goal is to slow down and enjoy things more. We are all so busy, and with a new baby coming in March, we are only going to get more busy, so I really want to take time to enjoy little moments. 

Atticus is starting preschool in the next month, and dad will be home from training, so things will get busier in the upcoming months. My priority is to not let the day-to-day tasks take over my life and to let things slide so I can enjoy my family more.

On a non­-mom note, my personal goal is to eat healthier with more homemade foods. I plan on learning canning, and making more meals from scratch, and putting good things into my body. (I mean this in a 100% NOT weight-related way. My goal is energy and health, and I just love to make stuff from scratch!)

12. Where in the world would you go if you had all the money in the world?
I would go everywhere! I’d start in Europe, then some place tropical, and then tour the United States in an RV hitting all the major landmarks.

13. Top 3 favorite meals to make and why? (if you give a recipe that's a bonus for points!)
1. Turkey sweet potato shepherd's pie:
(brown ground turkey and add gravy of your choice. Put in bottom of pie or baking dish. Add a layer of shredded cheese, then top with bag of frozen veggies. Top that with mashed sweet potatoes and a little more cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes and enjoy!) This is a staple in my house. Atticus thinks the turkey burger is tacos so he likes it, and it doesn’t take long to make. We all love it in our house and makes for great leftovers.

2. Anything I can throw in my crockpot!
Like this Hawaiin chicken one http://chroniclesofaknaptimeknitter.blogspot.com/2013/11/your­pins­tested­sweet­hawaiian.html 

3. We love to make pizza! Its delicious and Atticus can help my adding the toppings. Because I am gluten free I make ours, and usually go by this recipe: http://chroniclesofaknaptimeknitter.blogspot.com/2012/09/gluten­free­pizza­for­whole­family­on.h tmp

14. What do you do for YOU for me time?

I need me­ time to keep my sanity and be the best mom I can be, so I am not afraid to admit when I need some time off! I love to read, so even if it's only five pages a day, I make time every single day to get a few pages in. 

Once a week I have my girlfriends over for a movie and some girl time, and every week or so, I drop my guy off at my friend’s house so I can get out for an hour or so and get a haircut, grocery shop alone, or even just grab a coffee by myself. 

And when my husband is not away in the Army, I love a good bubble bath! He is so wonderful about giving me time to re­charge and encourages me to “go do something” while he holds down the fort. I’m very lucky to have such an amazing guy! (ok ok, gushing love fest over.)

These two photos taken from Erica Miller, New York

15. What are you most excited for and nervous about with having baby #2?

I’m most excited to see another amazing human that my body created. I look at my son and literally stare at him, wondering how something so incredible came from me. (high­ five husband, we make good ones!). 

I’m excited to see Atticus take on the role of big brother, because he is so excited about his baby coming, and let's be real, I’m excited to dress a baby girl! 

I’m most nervous about those sleepless nights, with a three year old and two dogs. When Atticus was born, it was just my husband and I, and now there is a lot more going on in my crazy house. Getting closer and closer to the end of this pregnancy, I’m nervous about having to spread myself even more thin and give everyone the attention they need. But I’m confident we’ll figure it all out!

5 Ways I've Saved Money This Week

As you've probably figured out by now, I am always looking for ways to stretch a dollar and get the best bang for my buck.  This week, I've had a few opportunities to save on those purchases I can't avoid.  Here they are:

1. Buy contacts at BJ's-I have two different prescriptions for my contacts, one for each eye, so when I purchase contacts I always have to buy two boxes.  This can get pretty pricey.  On average, a box is $35, plus shipping if you're using 1-800-Contacts.  At BJ's, they are just under $23 a box! 

*if you are a military family, be sure to ask for the military discount when getting or renewing your BJ's membership.  You save $15 off the yearly fee, and get an emailed $10 off purchase coupon

2. Use Monroe for oil changes-I hate getting oil changes.  Mostly when I need a tire rotation and everything too, so when I saw the sign for a $19.99 oil change, which included free tire rotation (even if you didn't purchase your tires there) I jumped on it! 

3. Meal Plan-This was my first week of meal planning and I am loving it.  Prior to grocery shopping for it, I looked for coupons and then hit the store with my list.  This has avoided extra trips to the grocery store, which almost always lead to unnecessary purchases.  (in case you missed it, here's the post for this week's meal plan).

4. Condense your errands into one trip-if you're like us, this can be tough.  I don't like leaving the dogs home alone for too long (for fear of the wreckage I'll return home to) and errand running with a three year old can be very hard, but by getting it all done in one outing, it save numerous trips, subsequently saving a ton on gas.  I found, also, that with our list in hand, we were less likely to make unnecessary stops, which often lead to purchases we didn't plan for or need.

5. Consign unwanted items-I became a consignor at a kids and baby consignment shop this week and I'm so excited! We are saving up for a two seater stroller, and dropped off some items we no longer need and didn't plan on keeping for future babies.  I don't know if we've made anything yet, but this is a great way to either get some cash for your items, or store credit to put toward what you need.  I have an account with an adult clothing consignment store, as well, and I've made a few hundred dollars since starting there.

Have you saved money recently? Please share your tips!

This Week's Meal Plan

I have been reading a lot about the benefits of meal planning.  It saves time and money and basically just makes life a little easier (at least that's what they say).  Over at the Mommy Stories, there are some great tips on getting started, but since I am gluten free, I have to alter my menu a bit because some items, like pasta, can be very expensive and not conducive to a budget friendly plan.

My goal here was to plan meals that the whole family likes, some with leftover potential for lunches and at least one new recipe.  My family is small, so I don't need to worry about huge portions and often split the meal and toss half in the freezer.  If you have a bigger family, you could opt to up your portions and do that as well.  I also wanted to use some of the ingredients I had on hand, so some of our choices were based on that.

Here's what our week looks like:

Monday: French Onion Soup and Garlic Bread (I use my own gluten free recipe for the soup and will make some bread machine bread to go with it)

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (Atticus' favorite day)

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Italian Chicken, a new recipe I found from this Pin.  I love a good slow cooker meal, and this seems simple and delicious. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Thursday: Spinach Lasagne (this is my weekly girls night, so I planned a slightly bigger meal for sharing)

Friday: Pizza (using this recipe)

Saturday: Sandwiches using whatever we need to use up in the fridge

Sunday: Leftovers

After I planned out the dinners for the week, I made a list of what I needed to get, and then headed over to Coupons.com to see what I could find for coupons.  Grocery shopping with a very specific list in hand is a great way to avoid those unnecessary purchases and makes it easier to stick to a budget. 

7 Day Challenge to Organization-January Edition

I always begin the new year with the goal of getting organized and to spend less time cleaning.  It works for about four minutes, and then comes undone.  This year, I'm doing it! To help, I have come up with a 7 day challenge to do this week, in hopes of tackling some projects that get put on the back burner, and to make my life easier.  Here's what this week's challenge holds:

Day 1 (Monday):
Organize those recipes! I just got a new recipe binder, but I stuffed it with my food covered, ripped pieces of paper and it just doesn't make any sense. I can't find anything and it's just chaos. So day 1's challenge is to clean this up and get it all organized, maybe even add a recipe or two it.

Day 2 (Tuesday):
Tackle a closet.  Any closet. I know you have one in your house too, the one that is overflowing and bursting with who knows what.  Clean it out.  Organize it. Toss stuff.  Donate stuff. Get rid of it, or put it where it needs to go.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Make 5 freezer meals to have ready for another day.  I personally love making freezer meals, and they come in so handy, especially if I can throw them in the crock pot when its time to use them. 

Day 4 (Thursday):
Tackle a pile.  I know you have one.   A laundry pile, a magazine pile, an ironing, pile, toy pile....find it and take care of it!

Day 5 (Friday):
Clean out and organize your towel/linen closet.  If its ripped, either toss it or make it rags.  Old ratty towels, toss them.  Sheets that have been around for a hundred years, toss them.  Fold, organize, make it pretty in there.

Day 6 (Saturday):
Clean out your fridge.  Throw away anything that's gone bad, use up anything you can (make a soup, or have a leftover free-for-all dinner) and clean it top to bottom. 

Day 7 (Sunday):
De-clutter! Go through each room in your house and get rid of at least item you don't want, use or need. 

I'll keep track of my progress and let you know how it goes, and please share your progress too!  Have an idea for the February edition?  Feel free to comment or give a shout.

Caterpillar Craft (thanks, Pinterest!)

It's freezing out here in upstate NY, so we have been looking for fun things to keep us (him) busy in the house.  This caterpillar project, found from this Pin was just the thing for my three year old.  We have been working on learning numbers and letters, and how to spell his name, so this was a great way to practice these things, while having fun.  

Here's what you'll need:

-construction paper

-pipe cleaners

-a marker

-scissors

-glue stick

We started out by writing his name and having him spell it out to me.  He has a hard time physically writing it, so we worked together on the letters.  He counted how many circles he would need (one for each letter of the name, plus the head) and he chose the colors he wanted.  Once I cut them out, he got to glue, which is basically the coolest thing ever to him.

Next, he drew the face and we worked together to add the legs and antennas.  When it was all assembled, we wrote out his name together, spelling it aloud with each letter and then turned it over, counted the circles and numbered them.

He was thrilled with his colorful little friend:

*To see more projects, follow on Pinterest!