Easy Peasy Dinner Time !

Since Thomas gets bored of eating the same old recipes again and again (who wouldn't?!) I am constantly wracking my brain to come up with new and fun recipes to expand his palate. At this point in the game he is a toddler and can eat anything that us adults are having. Which makes life way more easy and fun!

Also in the recent past few months I have been on a mission to cook more for myself as well! I would like to prove to myself that my cooking skills don't suck! (Verdict says... They don't! I really am a good cook!) :) Although, after a long day of chasing around a toddler sometimes my brain is mush and cooking is the last thing I want to do for myself! But, thank you to my AWESOME pinning skills ;) I have come across a winning recipe for not only me but for Thomas too! To top it off all you need are 8 simple ingredients which most of you have in your household anyway! 

Pasta Carbonara!

Ingredients:

1. 8 ounces Spaghetti
2. 2 large eggs
3. 3/4 cup grated parm cheese
4. 4 slices bacon (when cooking for Thomas I use Turkey bacon)
5. 4 cloves garlic, minced
6. Kosher salt
7. Black pepper to taste (optional)
8. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I do not use this ingredient) 

What I did:

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to box instructions. Feel free to use whatever kind of pasta tickles your fancy! Make sure you reserve a 1/2 cup of the boiling salted water!!
2. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and the cheese. Just set it aside for later :)
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy 6-8 minutes. Side note: I chop up the bacon prior to the skillet. It cooks faster and is easier for Thomas to eat that way! After the bacon is cooked add the garlic to it for about 1 minute.
4. Reserve the excess fat (When I use turkey bacon there really isn't fat so I just set the skillet aside until its time to add the pasta to it.
5. Stir in the pasta and the egg mixture. Toss to combine. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. 

There you have it! A simple and yummy mommy/baby meal! SO VERY YUMMY!! 

XOXO,

D

My Most Favorite Baby Proofing Products, EVER!

A couple of weeks ago my girlfriend approached me asking me my opinion on what baby proofing supplies she should bring into her household. When it comes to baby proofing there are so many products on the market that all do the same thing it can truly make your head spin! Some parents do not mind screwing gates into their walls and other families simply prefer not to. I was so excited to be able to help her out and give her my opinion on what products I love that have worked well for me in all the households that I have nannied for. Again, this is all my own opinion and throughout the ten years I have been in this business I have found these products to be nothing less than fabulous! 

For starters, clear view stove knob covers. I have used them in countless households and they grow with your children. They are the best things ever! They are super easy for adults to open and close. They come in a five pack or ten pack.

Product can be found here.

The second of my favorites is a multi-purpose strap. I use these to lock toilet seats, fridge/freezer doors, and you can also use it to lock your oven. They do make oven locks separately however, more often than not oven locks do not work well for every oven out there. These multi-purpose straps DO work! Very well I may add! They come in all different size packs so you can pick and choose where you want to put them and how many you would like in your pack. 

Product can be found here.

Third on the list is foam bumpers for your living room coffee table. You can find these in different colors. They work really well when they are APPLIED CORRECTLY. They come with stickies but I have found that they do not work as well. You will need to use 3M double sided tape in order for these bumpers to be applied well. Once they are applied they work wonderfully!

Product can be found here.

The fourth product on my awesome list is by far one of my top most favorite baby proofing item out there! They are cabinet locks made by Kiscords! These cabinet locks are a BIG NO BRAINER! By far, the easiest locks for adults and children can never figure them out. Unless they are 5 or 6. But, by then there is not a huge demand for baby proofing (I would hope!) ;) I use these cabinet locks for Thomas and they work wonders in the household (Kitchen & Bathrooms). They come in black and white! I am a huge fan of amazon prime. These cabinet locks are not a prime item so they will take a little longer to ship than all the other items on this list. 

Product can be found here.

Number five on the list is outlet safety covers. These are AWESOME! They only "downside" to these (which for me is NOT a downside) is that you will need to replace all of the outlet covers in your home. However, I do not put a price on the safety of a child and this outlet cover no child will be able to stick their fingers into. I have used different outlet covers throughout my career and these by far are the BIG WINNERS! They come with the proper screws too! 

Product can be found here.

The sixth product on my list is, door knob covers for your bathroom, bedroom, office doors and of course basement/man cave door! Just really any door in your house. They come in black and white so you can match them to your doors to the best of your ability. I have used these in many households as well and they have always worked well! Easy use for adults and for children they just spin in circles as they try to figure them out. :) 

Product can be found here.

Lastly on my list is a safety gate! These are pricey but work AWESOME! It is made by First Years and it is called the "Everywhere Gate." This gate will last you forever and will grow with you and your family. It works with easy pressure mounting so you can take it with you when you travel or just to switch rooms with your child! Bonus, the gate is see through so your child can see you from the next room if you're in the kitchen. There is no need to screw into your walls or to get new hardware for your home. 

Product can be found here.

That completes my list of my most favorite baby proofing products, EVER!! Again, I am not a certified baby proofer however, I have found that these products have worked miracles for me endless times over the years. I have found comfort and a peace of mind when using each and every one of these products! All of these products on my list can be found off of Amazon Prime except the Kiscords Cabinet locks are not a prime item. Yet, well worth the standard shipping ;)

XOXO,

D

** ALL images found from Amazon.

What I Plan To Do Differently

I cannot believe it has been so long since I have written a blog post!! This summer has been jammed packed for me. Between vacation, work and preparing for a new baby, blogging has been pushed to the side. School starts NEXT WEEK!! (Picture me doing a dance and throwing confetti :) ) I definitely need the 2-3 weeks of morning hours while Makenna and Matthew are at school to get some stuff done before baby #2 comes. Which comes to the topic of my post… here is a list of 5 things that I plan to do differently than when I had Makenna. 

1. My entire birth plan. Honestly, I didn't even have one for Makenna. I went in with no instructions or wishes. I had a hard long labor and ended up with a c-section. I never ever thought I would have a c-section so I was totally unprepared! I knew I wanted to breastfeed but I never told the doctors and nurses to keep bottles and pacifiers away. If you read my breastfeeding  post, you know how much of a struggle breastfeeding was as a result. This time I am having a scheduled c-section and will be informing EVERYONE I see to not give bottles or pacifiers. My husband is on bottle/pacifier watch. I think I scared him when I told him that he is to under no circumstances let them give her anything. This is our child, unless she is under distress for some reason, they will be following OUR rules! I am also asking for a "gentle c-section." Where they allow skin to skin immediately after delivery like a normal birth does. 
2. If for some reason I cannot breastfeed without pumping and bottle feeding, I will only be doing so for 3 months. Pumping and bottle feeding is A LOT of work. I applaud anyone that can do it for a long period of time. Unfortunately, I already know I just don't have it in me. With two other toddlers to take care of, it would be way to stressful for me. 
3. Co-sleeping. This is not something we planned to do with Makenna. It just sort of happened. I do not regret it, but with baby #2 so things will be different. Makenna slept right in between us. Baby #2 will be in a co-sleeping crib next to our bed. Makenna became so dependent on me to sleep that it got a little ridiculous. I would just lay in bed and nurse her to sleep. Baby #2 will be nursed and then laid down in her crib to fall asleep. There will be NO nursing to sleep after 3 months.  

   

   This is how Makenna prefers to sleep

4. 

   Makenna finally using her crib bedding. 

   With Makenna I got a whole crib bedding set and accessories. I have to say the biggest waste of money to me is those crib bedding sets. No one uses the little comforter it comes with and bumpers aren't recommended anymore. Even the sheets aren't that soft. Though Makenna never slept in a crib, every single family I nannied for also never used the crib bedding. It just sits there taking up space. Makenna now uses the little comforter as a picnic blanket. Instead I just have random crib sheet and an Aden & Anais Dream Blanket. I got one for Makenna when she was a year old and she still sleeps with it every night. I just purchased another for baby #2. I honestly might buy one for myself. They are so comfortable!  
5. Using a babysitter. Whether is be family or a hired sitter, Makenna and baby #2 will be left with someone other than me. Makenna is my shadow. She is hardly ever left with anyone else. She has never been left with anyone besides family. (Matthew's family is considered our family too) My mom lives about an hour away and Michael's mom has a busier social schedule than me lol Its tough to find some time to go out without the kids. We definitely need to find a trusted babysitter!

So those are my top 5 things I plan to do differently. Of course, anyone that has kids knows nothing really goes as planned. 

Playing Catch Up...

I can't believe it has been so long since there has been a good blog post! I guess that is what happens when life takes over. Between Keri preparing for baby number two and my crazy schedule coming to a close there is just too much going on. It is only Wednesday (I mean Tuesday... point well taken!) and I have been up since 6am... vacuuming, washing the floors and doing laundry. Have I mentioned that it is my day off?!? Haha I guess thats what happens when you become a Mommy. A PUPPY Mommy that is! Recently, my boyfriend and I blessed our home with two of the sweetest baby puppies in this world! A beautiful German Shepard (DeeBo) and a sweet little yorkie (Tyson) -- who definitely lives up to his own name. Tyson tries his hardest to play with the big boys and I am pretty sure that Deebo thinks that his brother is a chew toy. He really is gentle with him however he has his moments of pawing him!

Just like when you have a newborn baby it takes time to get to know them, their needs and you truly have to listen to what they are trying to tell you. Are they hungry?, tired?, need to pee or poo? You need to put them on a schedule right away and you definitely cannot diverge from it. These babies of mine LOVE their schedule and have been doing an amazing job with crate training. FYI-- for any of you who get a new puppy, I have downloaded a baby lullaby music app to my IPAD. Every time they go into their individual crates I play the baby music app. They go right to sleep with NO whimpering or whining. It is amazing!!

Here are some pictures of the night we brought them home and just some proud puppy mommy pictures that I have captured over the past few days;

Here they are! The newest additions and the sweetest boys I know ;) What else can I say besides the fact that I am so excited for what is to come for me. Lately I just feel so blessed and lucky. I continue to pray that God keeps blessing me in life. I recently "retired" from all of my side jobs and had to say goodbye to some of the sweetest kids I know as well! I will definitely go back and visit and work from time to time but it feels good to focus on myself and my life at this time. Here are a couple of "selfies" from my last day! hehe ;)

Needless to say there is a lot of transition and change brewing in my life but all for the positive. I really am not used to devoting time to my own life but perhaps that is what has been missing. I feel happy, healthy and blessed! I truly am excited for the future! Now that life is settling down a bit expect more blog posts to begin flowing again. :)

P.S. If anyone has any new puppy tips for me it is VERY MUCH appreciated. Please comment below to give me some helpful tips and hints! Thank You!!!

XOXO,

D

Book Review Tuesday!

Recently I noticed that Thomas had a few new books added to his library shelf! Thomas is always getting hooked onto new and great children's books thanks to his awesome mama and my boss Rosie!

Last week Thomas had me pull a "bus book" off of his book shelf to read to him during lunch time. He loves buses, trucks and construction everything! Thomas is also a HUGE fan of, "The Wheels on the Bus." The board book I am about to introduce is not exactly the same thing however it teaches a wonder of fun math skills! 

This book for me is a new favorite! It really is addition and subtracting lessons in disguise. There are groups of dogs and cats that board the bus. Then, at different stops along the way groups of cats and dogs get off the bus in different numbers. For example, two dogs get dropped off at the boat, three cats board the airplane, two cats and two dogs get on the train, etc. The final passenger is a dog who ends up being the bus driver's pet. The awesome part about this book is if you want to begin to teach your toddler simple adding and subtracting lessons you can take cheerio's, puff's or whatever you would like to show them when one, two, three, or four animals board and leave the bus. They can count with you to see how many animals are left still sitting on the bus. 

As said above, Thomas loves his wheels on the bus song. So I take the opportunity to sing the song with him and go through all of his favorite motions! Since Byron Barton uses cats and dogs for his story you can include doing different animal noises in your wheels on the bus version to go with the theme of the book. It makes meal time more fun and relaxing for him, for sure! 

What stories and children's books would you love to see featured here on Play Dates & Sippy Cups? Comment below and let us know!

XOXO,

-D

Meal Prep & Wedding Madness!!

Let me just start off by giving this small disclaimer.... I am in no way shape or form in top notch shape! My ab's (ummm I have NO ab's) are not made in the kitchen! Would I like them to be? Absolutely! However, I cannot live at the gym 24/7 and with my hectic schedule I do not by any means have seven hours on a Saturday to meal prep. For today, it just is not my reality.

I also very recently got slapped in the face with a different reality. I was my best friends Maid of Honor this past weekend. Early July my dress finally arrived at the bridal shop! I was SO excited! Now, for all you ladies who know bridal world. Clearly, we all have a love/hate relationship with it. You can be a size seven in reality but in bridal world that easily makes you a size twelve or fourteen. The measurements are always off and something always needs to get tailored or adjusted... Keep in mind ladies that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a size 12/14/16/18/22! We are all beautiful in our own skin. Weight for me has always been an uphill battle. Especially throughout my childhood and teen years. My body image is still a battle for me to this day but I work on knowing I have shed that portion of who I used to be.

Back to the meat of this story... I tried on my dress which is a size ten. The dress fit beautiful and like a glove! The only thing that needed minor adjustment was in my breast area. Of course, it needed to be taken in. Three weeks later my dress was picked up and I went to my best friend's apartment to zip it up. Well, when I say she couldn't even zip it halfway up my back that is no exaggeration. That dress was NOT fitting! Only three weeks had passed! Could I have gained that much weight? No way! It just wasn't possible. I began to break out in sweats, I am pretty sure I began to swell up and freak out. With just a week and a half until the wedding we had no idea what we were going to do about this. Quick side note, I recently embarked into a new relationship with a wonderful man. We all know what happens when you get into a new relationship. It is exciting, fun, tons of date nights and eating out and slowly the gym is the last thing on your mind. However, three weeks from the fitting did not pack twenty pounds onto my body! Rita said she would call the bridal shop first thing in the morning because surely something had to have gone wrong in the alteration process. I ended up going home that evening and calming down a bit. I know this sounds super silly but I went and pee'd, yes pee pee. Prior to going to try on my dress I ate like a cow and drank iced green tea and two bottles of water. I definitely did not help the situation. So when I was relieved and comfortable within my own walls I called upon my mother to help me out for a minute. She was able to clasp and zip the dress! Mini SUCCESS! The dress was pulling and too tight! BUT, I was in it! That very moment I decided no more eating out, no more junk or sweets until this wedding was over!! I told Rita to not call the bridal shop because I was going to focus on eating right and getting into this dress on the big day! Talk about pressure!!!

As you can see my back was swollen and this dress was pulling an awful amount!!

For the next week I focused on nothing but drinking water like it was my job and green tea too! I believe my boyfriend and I went through two twenty-four packs of water bottles in a week (mostly from me) and the tea section of my supermarket was cleared out by me as well. I walked for my cardio but did not push it too hard because again, my schedule is extremely hectic and I do tons of traveling. By the end of the day I am just wiped out! Also, during that week my good and dear monthly friend came and gone. Which, I believe that had a lot to do with my bloating and swelling too! I made a firm decision to basically eat chicken and veggies until I couldn't do so any more!

I am sure it is the same for all of us women... I can't just eat plain grilled chicken. I do need some flavor to it! I want to share an awesome recipe with you that helped to get me through the week! You can change it up by cooking some brown rice on the side as your carb to mix with the chicken and the veggies!

I made Rosemary Lemon Chicken (ummm YUM!) and the best part of it all was that it was in the CROCK POT!! So ladies, we all know what this means.... MINIMAL PREP AND ZERO CLEANUP!

This was such an easy and simple meal. I believe it took me ten minutes if that to prep! 

Ingredients:

• Four boneless skinless Chicken Breasts (side note, Nature's Promise makes individually packaged chicken breasts which cuts your prep time even more!)
• 1 Cup low sodium Chicken Broth (definitely low sodium after that dress experience lol!)
• 1 Lemon thinly sliced
• 4 Sprigs of Rosemary (I got the Rosemary plant from the food store)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped
• Dash of sea salt and a few dashes of ground black pepper

Then, all you have to do is place the chicken in the crock pot, pour in the chicken broth, top it off with the lemon, garlic, rosemary, sea salt and pepper! You can cook it on high for 4-5 hours or what I did was high for two hours and on low for three hours. When I cook this again I will probably just try to cook it on low for 5 hours. The crockpot I use is on steroids and gets hotter than your average I feel. 

Here is what it looked like when all was said and done!...

Yumm!!

Since I had embarked on the, "You better fit your sweet little butt into the MOH dress" journey, I opted out of cooking brown rice and just stuck to some broccoli. It was a yummy healthy meal and there was zero cleanup! Side note, this is an AWESOME meal for your toddlers! You can buy everything natural and organic too if that works best for your household! 

These pictures were taken the day before the wedding! SWEET SUCCESS!!!!! 

I was SO EXCITED!

No more pulling or swelling in my back!

Have you had any times where you had a certain time crunch to fit into a special dress?! Please share your stories below! We would love to build a community here at Play Dates & Sippy Cups where you feel at home to share, comment and talk with us! 

XOXO,

-D

** I am not a nutritionist so please talk to your doctors before changing your diet  

My Breastfeeding Journey

I want to start off by saying that I am not judging anyone else for the decisions they made regarding breastfeeding and what was best for them and THEIR child. This is simply my experience with breast feeding. If anyone has any negative comments they can just keep them to themselves! :)

My breastfeeding journey with Makenna was definitely not an easy one in the beginning. It took her three months to latch and it was a constant battle. I believe this is a direct result of the difficult birth I had with her that ended in an emergency c-section. I was so drugged and tired at that point, that I didn't even get to see her for eight hours afterward because I couldn't stay awake. By that time she had already had several bottles and was in love with her pacifier. As you can tell in this picture, I am still out of it.

When I finally got to hold her, I immediately tried to get her to nurse. She screamed and cried and would not latch for anything. After five minutes we were both exhausted and Daddy gave her a bottle. I felt like the biggest failure ever. When the lactation consultant came in that day she helped me try different holds and a nipple shield. Still nothing. They brought me a pump and told me I should start pumping to help my milk come in and that we would keep trying to get her to latch. I pumped and pumped and finally the day I went home from the hospital my milk came in! I was so excited, at least I could pump and give her breast milk still. She transitioned from the formula to breast milk in bottles without a problem. I figured she would start latching soon.

A month later she was still not latching. I would try before every feeding, but she would just scream and scream. I was slowly losing hope and pumping was taking over my life. When you pump exclusively it gets tiring and takes a LOT of time. I had to feed her and then pump for 30 minutes every 2 hours. As soon as I was finished, it felt like it was time to start the process all over again. I never really produced enough pumping to build up a good supply. So I had to constantly pump in order to feed her. My breast pump was my BFF. I couldn't go anywhere without it.

Pumping in the car

Thank God I had a good support system of family and friends who supported breastfeeding. My friend Julia was a constant shoulder to lean on and would help give advice to increase my supply or on any other issue. I probably would have given up without them cheering me on. Three glorious months later, I forgot my pump at work. I decided to just see if she would latch before I went all the way back there. SHE LATCHED!! I almost passed out from excitement. :) 

After she finally latched, my milk came in stronger and I had zero problems producing enough milk for her. It was amazing and I stopped pumping all together. I was just so tired of that damn pump. I now wish I continued pumping a few times a day though. When I finally tried to pump again I hardly got anything and then Makenna refused to take a bottle. Go figure. Just my luck. 

When Makenna was around 5 months old, she all of a sudden became "allergic" to dairy. She was extremely gassy, would have poop explosions a billion times a day, and broke out with rashes and eczema everywhere. 

I had to cut dairy completely out of my diet. Not just typical dairy such as, milk, cheese and ice cream.... but anything that the dairy protein was in. Which is pretty much EVERYTHING. You don't even realize how much prepackage food dairy is in. It was insane. If I was worried I wasn't going to lose the weight I put on from pregnancy, I no longer had to worry. I dropped weight at a rapid pace. I was around 115 lbs when I got pregnant. I gained around 35 lbs, so at the time of birth I weighed 150. By the time Makenna was six months I was down to 102 lbs. I was definitely not eating enough and I'm lucky my milk supply didn't suffer. 

After all my breastfeeding struggles, I refused to give up! My baby girl was doing so much better and was happy once again.

Right before her first birthday, I slowly began introducing dairy back into my diet. She seemed to be doing fine with it so I cut out all dairy restrictions and went back to a normal diet. I put back on weight and evened out at 115 where I started.

After Makenna's first birthday I tried weening her off of breastfeeding. She was NOT having it. I decided to keep going and try again in a few month. By this time she was obsessed with my boobs. No, really, she was. I think her latching around the three month mark was a big reason. Around three months is when you start to introduce a "lovey". Her lovey was my boob. Even when she wasn't nursing she wanted to hold my boob. If she wanted to go to sleep she had to hold my boob. I created a boob monster. I always joke with my husband that she's going to mortified of all the pictures of her with her hand down my shirt when she is older. :)

Around 18 months I had had enough. We were still nursing on demand but I forced her to ween to 3 times a day and then slowly cut out a feeding until I was down to just nighttime. Nighttime was the worst one. She would cry and cry to nurse and I would give in. The month before she turned two I had to go away over night for the first time. That was the end of breast feeding, but not the boob holding. She'll be three in September and still tries to put her hand down my shirt when she is tired or wants to cuddle. I no longer let her though. Without success we cannot get her to latch onto any type of blanket or doll for more then a few weeks. She is very stubborn and obviously will not be forced to do anything before she is ready.

With baby #2 on the way I worry about breastfeeding. I pray it comes easier this time. I am having a planned c-section and my husband is under strict order to not let anyone near her with a bottle or pacifier. I am going to request a "gentle c-section" where they allow skin to skin directly after birth but haven't met the new doctor who is scheduled to delivery me. It might have been a long journey with Makenna breastfeeding, but I lasted almost two years. I would like to give baby #2 at least 18 months. We will see how that goes!

Feel free to share your experiences below!

Llama Llama Time to Share...

Welcome to another Book Review Tuesday! Tuesday is beginning to become my favorite day of the week! I really look forward to picking out books that Thomas and I get really excited about. This week, "Llama Llama Time to Share" by, Anna Dewdney takes the cake!

Image found from Amazon.

It is a great story about sharing your toys with your friends. The one thing I love about it, is that it does not come across preachy or repetitive. The rhymes are phenomenal and like always with any Anna Dewdney books the illustrations are AWESOME! Baby Llama has a very hard time sharing his Fuzzy Llama doll with his new friend. Fuzzy Llama's arm gets ripped off when he tries to snatch it back from his new friend. They work through the problem and in the end Baby Llama can't wait to share his toy with his new friend.

This book is perfect for children eighteen months plus who are just learning how to share. Especially if your child is in a daycare or a school setting. When children get to school sharing is most definitely encouraged. They share crayons, paper, books, markers, crafts, and much more! This book comes in handy when teaching the importance of sharing your things with others and showcases sharing from an extremely positive viewpoint!

XOXO,
-D

Daily Routines, Feelings & Emotions...

Life with Thomas is always interesting. Never a dull moment when it comes to spending time with that sweet boy! Thomas has definitely been going through many stages and has been facing many strong battles with his own self will. Times do get very hard and everyone's patients is tested. You want your child to be able to communicate and understand their own feelings and emotions (happiness, anger, sadness) however, at the small and tender age of two years old it is virtually impossible.

In order to make Thomas understand the different structure and activities that I have set into place for him such as, sitting down for breakfast, eating politely and quietly, not throwing your food onto the floor, etc. I have come up with a simple activity to help him be in control of different scenarios that will hopefully allow him to develop a small understanding of what he goes through on a daily basis. 

Thomas has recently become obsessed with Elmo! He asks for Elmo on a daily basis. It is really cute! So his Grandma sent him an Elmo doll that talks, sings songs, and counts. These days, Elmo is probably the only one that Thomas will listen to HA. I had Thomas take his favorite little buddy and "cook" him breakfast. He had to strap Elmo into his seat. He fed Elmo the makeshift food and even gave Elmo water! After breakfast was all said and done, Thomas took Elmo out of his seat and got his pillow and blanket and tucked Elmo in for a nap! "Shhhhhhhhhh!" Thomas tells me! He then proceeds to give him a kiss and say, "Goodnight." 

While Thomas was busy preparing Elmo his breakfast I stood there to help and watch. I would tell Thomas how good Elmo was being! "Look Thomas, Elmo isn't screaming." "Elmo is eating quietly and its so yummy in his tummy." "Shhhhh, Elmo is going to sleep without crying." Just hoping to set a new pace for Thomas so he recognizes that Elmo goes through the same activities that he does! I also keep saying to Thomas, "Who is turning TWO so soon!" "Who is such a big boy!?" Thomas is!! Just to hype up and reward all of his great behavior. We all are still working on his screaming and levels of frustration. It will take time but it really is only a stage.

What are some activities that you do to help your child understand their own daily routine, feelings and emotions? Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts and ideas with us!

XOXO,

-D

Book Review Tuesday!

Image found from Amazon.

Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? written by Eve Bunting & Sergio Ruzzier is just adorable! Thomas is currently in LOVE with this children's story. He always asks to read the duck book and quickly follows up with a loud, "Quaaaackkkk!" Duck has lost his new blue socks. He searches in his box, asks his friend the fox, and the ox but still he can't find his new blue socks! The rhyming in this book is done in a humorous and in a light hearted way. Eve bunting did an amazing job keeping the rhymes simple. They are simple enough for first time readers attempt to tackle. 

Sergio Ruzzier did a phenomenal job on the illustrations. The lost blue socks are slowly revealed as the story goes on. He makes it fun and easy for the kids to spot on their own! The illustrations in this story are done in water color and ink and the colors are nice and bright. Yet again, just the right amount to keep your child engaged and asking to read this story over and over again!

Both images found from Sergio Ruzzier

From all of the rhythms and rhymes and delightful illustrations this book is sure to make its way onto your child's book shelf! Also, a great gift to bring along to a baby shower! Perfect for ages 2-5 years old! I hope you and your family enjoy this read as much as Thomas and I do!

XOXO,

-D

Super Easy Summer Treat!

Now that Thomas is turning two years old in a few weeks he is old enough to want to do everything his mommy and I do! He recently went to Florida to visit his grandma and discovered one of the best tools ever!... A big boy step stool! It is seriously the best thing since sliced bread for him! Thomas loves to be involved in everything now. He watches us bake, cook, prepare all meals etc and loves to be involved every single second! It is the cutest thing!!

He always wants to help out and I look for different treats and easy meals that he can have fun being involved in without having to use big knives or the stove to prevent injury. Even though I never take my eyes off of him you just never know! I recently came across a childhood treat of my own (nostalgia at its finest) and I figure I will give it a go with Thomas. It is a bit messy but, Thomas wouldn't have it any other way!!

They are Copycat Kit Kat Bars! Sooo yummy and so very easy and fun to make with your little ones.

Image & Recipe found off of Raining Hot Coupons.

There are only two ingredients for this recipe and it is so much fun for the kiddies to mess around in! This may be the perfect rainy day activity and comfort food recipe. 

• 1 Package Vanilla Creme Wafers (I would just buy the store brand)
• 1, 12oz Package of Chocolate Chips

The best thing about this is depending on the nutritional rules of your household you can make this however you want it! Whether your an organic and natural household or even a gluten free household. Just buy the ingredients that work well for your family.

Image found off of Raining Hot Coupons

Next, all you need to do is line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds or however long it takes. Depending on the power level of your microwave of course! Then, once all the chocolate is melted allow your little one to have fun dipping and coating the wafer with the melted chocolate! Lift the wafer out with a fork allowing all the excess chocolate to drip off. Side note, once all is done you can even allow your little one to use the chocolate to draw pictures and shapes on construction paper or wax/parchment paper. Just something a little messy, yummy and different for them to experience. 

Image found off of Raining Hot Coupons

Once all your wafers are coated, place them in the fridge for five minutes to set! Trim the edges to make them even and enjoy!! SO much fun!

What are some yummy treats that you enjoy making with your little ones? Comment below and let us know some of your favorites!!

XOXO,

-D

Friday Favorite - Mayden Inspired

Happy Friday to all! Today I am bringing you an amazing product review for my Friday Favorite. When Danielle and I were approached by Mayden Inspired, to try out some of their awesome baby/toddler booties, we jumped at the chance. As a mom and nannies, we are always in search of shoes that babies and toddlers will actually keep on their feet! Makenna is one of those children that NEVER keeps anything on her feet. As soon as she is at home or gets in the car, off come her shoes and socks. We are forever losing them.

The owner and sole maker of booties, Danielle Murphy, is a local New Jersey mom. She started making booties for her own children and the word of her cute booties quickly spread. Mayden Inspired booties run from sizes newborn to 18/24 months, which I will say is about a size toddler's size 6. You can order them in a variety of designs and patterns. We were sent four pairs, two 18/24 months and two newborn sizes. 

As you can see, Makenna was very excited to receive her booties! 

Lucky for her, she has small feet. The size 18/24 months just fit her. That's why I am guessing they even out to a size 6. I thought she would tell me they were too tight but she just said over and over, "I love my new slippers!" She wore them the entire day and I had to force her to take them off for bed that night. That has never happened before! Two months later, her foot grew and the booties are very tight on her now :( But she loves them so much she still wants to wear them! 

The booties have held up extremely well. She wore them for the last week of school (she has to wear slippers at school) and all around the house. They show no signs of wear and are sewn very well. Considering Makenna's foot is about to bust out of them, and they are still holding up, I would give them an A+ for quality! :) I can't wait to put the newborn pair on baby #2 when she is born in September! I have them packed in my hospital bag waiting to go! 

The other newborn pair we received ended up being to small for the baby we wanted to test them. Our mistake since baby Celia was almost 3 months old. Danielle M. quickly switched out the booties for us. Celia and her Mom were huge fans of them! She kept them on and didn't pull them off at all. They are tight enough to stay on snug, but are not so tight that they leave marks or cut off circulation. And have I added that they are ridiculously cute?! 

We loved her booties so much, that we decided to gift them to a certain NJ based celebrity mom. We will keep you all updated if we spot them out and about when her baby is born! :)

The above picture shows the two different styles Mayden Inspired makes. A Maryjane type booties and a classic Moccasin style. 

Be sure to check out Mayden Inspired's Etsy shop. You can see all the different patterns and styles that they offer. If you don't see exactly what you are looking for, email Danielle M. through Etsy. She is always getting new fabrics in stock. 

We know you will all love these booties just as much as we did!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

xoxo- K

Disclaimer: We were not paid to do this review. We received the booties free, but if they sucked we would NOT have written a good review about them! :) 

What's for Dinner?!

It has been a long time since Keri and I posted a recipe that we enjoy! The recipe that I am going to share with all of you I have made a handful of times! It is every Mother and Nanny's dream.... fast, easy & simple. A household favorite in my book! I have made this for Thomas and my employers. Needless to say, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! Pun completely intended ;)

This is what we call a ONE PAN DINNER! Chicken, Potatoes and Greens! 

Both images were found from Trey and Christy.

I am a HUGE fan of Pinterest! I throughly enjoy stalking all of my beautiful girlfriends and mommy friends to see what they pin and what works best for them! One of my working girlfriends pinned this and gave it a go! I was very inspired and just HAD to try it the next day! You literally throw your raw chicken, potatoes and greens into a pan. Then season and bake! EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD AND OHHHH SOOOO YUMMY!!!

RECIPE:

• Three Chicken Breasts
• Four Medium Red Potatoes
• Green Beans or Broccoli (I used Broccoli)
• 1/2 Stick of butter melted
• Italian dressing mix packet (follow directions on packet for your homemade dressing!)

What to Do:

• Cut the chicken breasts in half
• Cut the potatoes into small chunks
• Spray the bottom of your 13X9 pan
• Place your chicken in the middle, potatoes on one side, veggie on the other
• Top it with half the packet of dressing and the melted butter
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour

I cannot brag about this recipe enough! It is a no brainer! Especially on your laziest of days!! 

Give this AWESOME recipe a go & let us know how you and your family like it! Thanks to our friends over at Trey and Christy for this wonderful, simple & easy dinner idea! MOMMIES and NANNIES ACROSS THE WORLD THANK YOU! 

XOXO,

-D

Through Thick & Thin...

Life for me has been an absolute whirlwind lately. Even though Keri and I are a team and are pretty much the same person our lives are extremely different. As for Keri we all know she is expecting baby #2 (Gummy Bear) very soon! I could not be more excited and happy to meet my second niece! :) Then, on the very different and opposite spectrum of life there is me ;)

Unfortunately, my grandfather just lost his battle to terminal lung cancer. It has been a bit of a long road to travel but being with him in his last couple weeks have meant so much to me. It was very difficult to stand next to his bedside and watch him pass but in the end I know he was comfortable. My immediate family was able to be there for him throughout his last hours. His passing was followed by a beautiful private service. I could not be more thankful for the wonderful and loving support system that has been surrounding me these past few weeks. To everyone who has sent my family and I their well wishes, sweet thoughts & condolences it has meant more then you can even imagine to me.

On a brighter note... since January I have been very busy planning a fun and feisty Bachelorette Party for one of my dear friends of 25 1/2 years! ps. I will be turning 27 this August! So that should give you a little insight as to how close we are! Needless to say the weekend was a success and she had a wonderful time! (I hope! ha ;) )

For the past year all she has been telling me is how much she has been wanting to visit Ocean City, Maryland! Between the beach, all of the bars & of course the infamous SEACRETS! We just had to find out for ourselves what everyone has been talking about. I have never been there and all I wanted was to make all of her wishes come true! I pulled the troops aka the Bridal party together and with everyones hard work and dedication we truly had a beautiful weekend for one beautiful Bride-to-be!

We stayed at The Princess Royale in Ocean City, Maryland. It is an ocean front resort with a hotel and a condominiums attached. Our Bachelorette Party stayed in a three bedroom, three bathroom condo! There were thirteen women all together! Everyone slept comfortably and our fridge was stocked with food and alcohol!

Here are some pictures from the fabulous weekend!

This picture was upon our arrival! Beautiful Bride-to-be & a yummy Malibu Barbie Drink!

Nothing like dipping your toes in the water with your sister!

The Calm before the storm... HELLO SEACRETS! Seriously, one of the best times I have had in awhile! I highly recommend going there! 

SO much fun!

This was the view from our balcony! It was one of the most serene moments of the trip! My close friends know that I hate sleeping with any doors or windows unlocked but by the last night I couldn't resist the natural sounds!

On our very last night of the Bachelorette trip we were blessed enough to see a SUPERMOON! Beautiful to say the very least.

Now that it is back to reality for me I feel like I can finally breathe a bit and focus on myself again! No more running back and forth to the hospital or being so on edge when your phone rings. There is three weeks left until my beautiful friend says her "I Do's!" I cannot wait and feel so very honored to stand next to her side. Now allow the whipping of my butt into shape commence! :)

Have you planned a fabulous Bachelorette Party or have some fun stories from one you have attended?? We love hearing from each and every one of you! Feel free to comment with some fun stories!

XOXO,

-D