christmas party planning: the kid zone

There are moments (sometimes entire days) where I wish I could whisk myself back to those blissfully uncomplicated child-free days (the ones where, if I wanted, I could spend an entire day in bed reading a book or watching the HGTV Design Star marathon), where my Christmas parties were the toast of the town, sophisticated soirees full of glamorous guests, witty conversation, and killer cocktails.  Okay, so aside from the killer cocktails, maybe none of that actually happened.   My point is that it could have.

But not anymore.

The biggest surprise of parenthood for me has been how much kids change the dynamic of your social relationships.  Parents of small children seem to naturally gravitate towards each other in the same way that non-parents of small children naturally seem to run the other way.

So there will be kids at our party.  Lots of them.  Hence the need for the kid zones.  Because the more entertained the kids are, the more fun the parents will be able to have (which is the whole point.)

christmas card garland craft

Thank goodness it's Friday.  This has been a very long and stressful week, and I am a little ashamed to admit that I have not been overly full of holiday cheer.  After a wonderful & festive weekend, we were thrown for a loop early in the week and I spent a lot of time being grumpy & miserable, and even more time feeling very sorry for myself while I stressed about things I couldn't change and all the "super important" things I had to do.

Luckily at some point yesterday, after a long and much-needed chat with my sister, I realized that most of the the things I spend so much time worrying about aren't really all that important in the grand scheme of things.  All I really needed was a little perspective.   I finally ended my pity party, stopped worrying about the gazillion things I hadn't yet checked off my list, turned on some Christmas music and sat down with the girls to do a craft.

The supplies:  old Christmas cards, ribbon, scissors, hole punch

homemade gifts: star-shaped crayon craft

I love giving gifts.  Much to my husband's chagrin, my generous spirit has often outweighed my budget.  A long time ago, long before I was married and had kids of my own, I started giving gifts to all the children in my life.  It started with just my nieces and nephews, and then, as a few of my friends started having children, the tradition started to spread.  Before I knew it, the list was very, very long.  This year I finally had to face the hard truth: it is simply too expensive to buy and send gifts to 30+ kids each year.

But I couldn't bear the thought of doing nothing.

I decided to get crafty.

halloween weekend tricks & treats

Don't you wish Halloween was always on a Sunday?  I don't know how it is in your city, but there is so much fun stuff going on this weekend that it is almost hard to choose what to do.

I had a fun morning yesterday painting faces at Princess' class Halloween party. 

(Proving once again that my Klutz face painting book was one of the best purchases I've ever made.)

Shock of all shocks, she wanted to be a princess.  How novel.

things I love: cute dresses, my girls, photographs, & awesome Haddy Grace Designs giveaways!

I love my girls.  When I was pregnant, I couldn't even fathom the idea of having a boy.  Even though we kept the baby's gender a surprise, in 18 total months of pregnancy we never once came up with a boy name.

So it never ceases to amaze me that although I was lucky enough to end up with two girls, these two girls of mine are as different as two kids could be.  Princess, at 4 years old, is my girly-girl, my perfectionist, my rule-follower, my over-achiever.  This is not because she is older.  She has been exactly the same her whole life.  Trouble, on the other hand, at only 17 months, is my wild child.  A pain-in-the-you-know-what since the day she was born, she is the source of my first grey hairs, as well as the one who also manages to wrap everyone--including me--around her devilish little finger.  Her wry smile, truly unfortunate hair, and fearless personality charms even the most anti-children people we know.  We have yet to meet someone immune to her magnetism.  But my oh my, is she a stinker!

A few weeks ago I came across a beautiful blog, Haddy Grace Designs, showcasing the most adorable little sweater dresses (at totally reasonable prices!)  As the mommy of girls, I was hooked.  Never mind the fact that I live in Florida and even though it is October, it is still 88 degrees during the day (and a "chilly" 75 at night.)  I love sweater dresses and I love pretending it is fall.  I wanted that dress, pure and simple.  I contacted Ruth Ann, the creative genius behind Haddy Grace Designs, and inquired as to whether she might be willing to create a sleeveless version of the sweater dress for those of us not quite so fortunate as to live in an area where sweater dresses are seasonably appropriate.

Amazingly enough, though she probably secretly thought I was a crazy person (which I may very well be), she was more than willing to work with me to create a Florida-friendly version of the sweater dress.  However, she ever-so-kindly suggested that I may want to consider a different design, her pillowcase dress.

Reluctantly, I did, and at that very moment a new love was formed.  I ordered the Fall Festival pillowcase dress for Trouble on the spot and less than a week later, it was on my doorstep, quite possibly the cutest little dress I had ever seen.

5 tips for disney fun (on a budget)

I'll spare you all the boring [to everyone else] details of our [very fun] trip to Disney and share just one very humorous anecdote:

This trip we were staying at the Contemporary Resort (thanks to some awesome Florida Resident deals), and on Saturday evening we left the park around 11:30pm and took the monorail back to the hotel.  By then both girls were asleep in our double stroller and we wanted to keep them asleep at all costs.  Unfortunately, when we got off the monorail at the hotel, we were told that the [only] elevator was out-of-order.  We asked how long it would be, since at that point, waiting was preferable to waking the kids, and the very nice Cast Member said, "look, I'll be honest with you, someone urinated in the elevator and we're waiting for it to get cleaned up.  However, if you don't mind the urine, I'll let you go down."

Now, we're parents.  We deal with kids' bodily fluids on a daily basis.  A little pee in the elevator wasn't going to kill us.  So the very accommodating Cast Member opened the door and boarded the elevator with our stroller, taking care to avoid the puddle in the corner.  Unfortunately, however, the elevator was equipped with doors on both sides, and when the poor man turned the key to turn the elevator back on, the opposite doors opened automatically.

As if it were happening in slow motion, a young boy ran onto the elevator, straight into the only space left: the puddle as simultaneously the Cast Member, C. and I, and the boy's mom yelled "NO!" But it was too late.  As we watched in horror, he slipped on the puddle and landed with his back and head smack dab in the middle of the pee.  There was dead silence for a few seconds and you could see the wheels turning in the poor Cast Member's mind as he weighed his options.  Finally, he turned to the boy's mom and said. "That was urine." Her look of utter disbelief was all we saw as the doors slammed shut, and we went on our way.

It was one of those moments that you don't even realize are funny until afterwards.  But at least the girls stayed sound asleep!

There are so many fantastic Disney planning resources out there that I almost feel silly giving you my advice, but here are some of my favorite tips for planning a great trip and saving a little money along the way.

1. Bring an "emergency kit."  Pack a small bag with first aid supplies, sunscreen, diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, batteries, cameras, snacks, & pens (for autographs.)  This may not seem like a budget tip, but trust me, it is!  If you forget something and have to buy it at the park, it will way more expensive than bringing it from home.  I like using an inexpensive reusable canvas shopping bag because I can leave it hooked on the stroller the whole time without worrying that someone might steal it.
2. Bring your own snacks and water.  Food at WDW is ridiculously expensive, so the more you can save on this category, the better.  Even better, bringing some of your own food also saves a lot of time, which is nice when you are trying to maximize every moment of your trip or when you are trying to make it to a park before it opens.  The "official" rule is that no outside food or drinks are allowed in the park, but this rule is not enforced.   If you are flying to WDW, pack food along in your suitcase.  The extra room will be handy on the way home for the inevitable souveniers.
3. Make the most of the food you do have to pay for.  Not all dining experiences at WDW are equal.  Many of the character dining experiences cost about the same as non-character full-service dining restaurants, so if you have small kids (or you just like the characters) it is worth trying to reserve a few character meals during your trip.  Read reviews of the restaurants to see which ones are worth eating at.  Our girls loved the smoked turkey leg sold at a vendor cart in Frontierland.  It was so big it filled up both girls and my husband, which made it a steal for $8.
4. Don't wing it.  Granted, I am a little obsessive about planning everything, but to really make the most out of your trip, do at least a little planning!  Study the maps of the parks to learn the lay of the land.  Figure out which attractions you really want to see, and which ones you only want to see if you have time for them.  Chances are, you won't be able to do everything.  My absolute favorite Disney resource (and I have an embarrassing number of Disney books) is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.  I buy it every year, not just because I love it (which I do, but also because it comes with a one-year subscription to their corresponding website, TouringPlans.com, which is an amazing resource for planning your trip.  And trust me, their park touring plans really work.  Our last trip to WDW was in June with my niece, and we never stood in line for longer than 20 minutes, even though the park was so busy you could barely move.  The Unofficial Guide also has detailed descriptions and reviews of all the restaurants and hotels at WDW, which allows you to make the most of the money you do have to spend.  (And let's face it, you WILL spend money at WDW!)
5. Be sure to ASK for discounts and upgrades.  You might be surprised at what you get.  Reservation agents are trained to not offer any discounts or specials, so it is up to you to ask for specific discounts.  Florida residents, annual passholders, military, and AAA are just a few of the discounts offered, but you have to ask for them!  Likewise, don't be afraid to ask to be upgraded.  Just this weekend, for instance, we were upgraded from the most basic room at the Contemporary resort to a suite overlooking the beach and lake.  It was amazing!  The staff at every resort are generally very accommodating, so to save money, book the cheapest room available and keep your fingers crossed at check-in!

Do you have any favorite Disney planning tips?  

disney weekend halloween craft

There are a lot of good things about living in Florida.  It is almost always sunny.  It doesn't snow.  There are palm trees and flamingos and alligators.  There are about 150 amazing beaches within driving distance. There is no state income tax.  Half the population doesn't live here most of the time.  I could go on and on.

But the best thing about living in Florida has got to be Walt Disney World.

I'll admit it:  I'm a Disney Dork.  I love it.  I love everything about it.  If it were up to me, we'd be there every weekend.

I know this will probably come as a shock, given our history of always agreeing on everything (note heavy sarcasm here), but my sweet husband is not really that into WDW.  He is, however, a fabulous daddy (and husband), so he humors my obsession, knowing it will make ALL of his girls happy.  He even consented to my [brilliant] idea of purchasing a Florida Residents Annual Pass this year, despite the fact that it cut a significant chunk out of our annual vacation budget AND knowing full well it would mean far more Disney trips than he could stand.  What a guy.

So this weekend we are off to WDW for Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Bash.  I can't wait!  Last October, when we were still living in Seattle, I took the girls to Disneyland for a few days at Halloween time.  M., who is obsessed with all things Halloween, hasn't stopped talking about it since.  It will be fun to get into the spirit a little early this year (not to mention to beat the crowds!)

I wanted something cute & festive (but also comfortable) for the girls to wear, so I decided to attempt 2 different craft projects I've been wanting to try for some time:  freezer paper stencils and tulle tutus.  The girls were very excited about their new "Hallorina" (halloween ballerina) outfits and happily modeled them for me!

They were very easy and the total cost for the whole project--shirts, leggings, & tutus--was less than $25.

Supplies Used:
(purchased)
-2 T-shirts, $3.99 each (Old Navy)
-2 pairs of leggings, $4 each (Old Navy)
-3 rolls of tulle (used 3 40% off coupons), $5.40 (Jo-Ann's)
-1 package 1/4" black elastic, $1.14 (Wal-Mart)

I also used black paint, freezer paper, & orange dye that I already had on hand.

Total cost: $22.52 ($11.26 per daughter)

Instructions:

For the shirt:

1. Tie-dye a white shirt with orange dye, (I used a kit I had leftover from a summer tie-dye project.), following instructions on kit.  Wash and dry shirt.
2. Trace your chosen design onto a piece of freezer paper (waxy on one side only!) I did a Google search for "mickey mouse bat" and found this design.
3. Using an Exacto knife and a self-healing cutting mat, cut out design.
4. Lightly iron freezer paper onto shirt.
5. Blot black paint onto shirt using stencil brush.  (I used black acrylic paint.)
6. Carefully peel back paper; let dry.

For the skirt:

1. Cut a piece of elastic to fit around your child's waist.
2. Place elastic around a large book or cutting board.
3. Cut 2 16" pieces of tulle from a 6" wide role.
4. Tie onto elastic.  Repeat, spacing knots 1-2" apart until skirt is complete.

Have a great weekend!

controlling kid chaos

The older I get, the more of a neat freak I become.  This is most unfortunate because kids are messy.  Really messy.  It would've been so much easier if I could've started neat and learned to relax by the time I had kids.  But I can't.  I love my kids, but I hate the messes that they are constantly creating!

A couple of years ago, when we were living in Seattle, I remember being offended when a childless couple came over for a neighborhood cocktail party and the wife commented "I just don't know if I could have kids and live with all this kid clutter everywhere."  At the time I had only one child, and the "piles" of "kid clutter" in my living room consisted of a (mostly decorative) wooden rocking horse and a wooden kid-size table in in corner.  There were no toys, no hideous brightly colored swings or jumparoos or ride-on toys or high-chairs.  Just a rocking horse and a table.

So while I was slightly irritated and a little bit offended (since I take pride in my very clean house), I also thought, "oh honey, you have NO idea!"

But the truth is, I really don't like having kid clutter everywhere, either.  I want my living room to be a comfortable living space, a place where we can invite guests and relax in a serene environment, not just a dumping ground for every toy on the market.  I don't mind if my kids take something out and play with it  as long as when they are done, the toy goes away.

In order to find some balance and to bridge the gap between my need for clean and their messy nature need to play, I have worked very hard to set up a system of controlling the chaos that comes from having kids.

In a nutshell, this is my controlling-the-kid-chaos philosophy:

1. Spend time organizing the toy storage area.   My theory is that if you can tame the area that generates the chaos, you can tame the chaos in general.  Even if you are lucky enough to have an out-of-sight playroom, you're probably not lucky enough to have kids who are content to keep all their toys in one room.  It seems like once they've thoroughly trashed one area they no longer have any interest in playing there, and they move on to the next room.  Thus, if the place you would like them to play is kept neat and tidy and they can easily find the toys they actually want to play with, they will play where you want them to.  Most of the time.  And even if they don't, they will know where everything goes when it is time to put it away.
2. Only keep out the toys they are truly interested in.  Everything else gets stored in the attic (or given to Goodwill.)  I would guess that at least 80-90% of my kids' toys are currently stored in the attic.  I try to pay attention to the things they are actually playing with, not just pulling out and throwing on the floor, and then put the rest away.   Every once in a while, M. will request something that has been put away and we will swap out something she is no longer playing with for something new out of the attic, so not only does it keep things tidier, it keeps things fresh and new.  I am a firm believer in the idea that less is more when it comes to toys.  This was never more evident for me than last fall when we took our 5 week cross-country motorhome trip, preceded by a month of living in a hotel.  All of M.'s toys were packed away and for more than 2 months she had nothing but a small bag of random McDonalds toys and Boeing canine unit trading cards (from Boeing Family Day) to keep her entertained.  That little bag was everything--her friends, her zoo, her tea party set, her "babies." It forced her to use her imagination, and she was never once bored.  It was an eye-opening experience, and I find that the less "stuff" I leave out for her to play with, the more self-entertained and imaginative she becomes.
3. Put toys with a lot of pieces out of reach.  Why is it that almost every toy these days has about a billion pieces?  In our house, puzzles, legos, games, kitchen accessories, doll clothes, craft supplies,  play-doh, and any other toys with lots of small pieces are kept on higher shelves in the girls' closet.  This makes them easily accessible to an adult, but not to them.  It is much easier to enforce the "don't take out something new until you put the other thing away" rule when you have control over what comes out and what doesn't. 
4. A place for everything and everything in its place.  It is SO much easier to clean up when everything has a home.  Use labels whenever possible. (I try to label everything, although currently my one-year old thinks it is hilarious to pull the labels off almost immediately.)  My husband once asked me why I am so obsessed with labeling, since I already know where everything goes.  I patiently explained that the labels were not for me, they were for him (and everyone else.)  I love using opaque or lined baskets for the toys and clothes they can reach because the room will look tidy once everything is put away, even if not everything goes in the correct basket or gets folded up correctly every time.  (And let's face it, it won't!)  For the higher shelves, I like using Sterilite 30 quart containers with lids.  I am also a huge fan of those Command adhesive hooks.  Don't forget to have a place for storing all the artwork that comes flowing in every day!  I keep a bulletin board in their room for M.'s favorite pictures, and the rest go in a 18 gallon container in her closet for me to sort through (much) later.
5. Make them help clean up, even though it takes MUCH longer.  My four year old can now clean up her room entirely on her own (though often not without a battle.)  When she was a little younger, I would break it down for her and assign her one task at a time.  Sometimes it took all day and 20 trips to the naughty stool, but eventually she started realizing that I wasn't going to back down.  My one year old has now started learning what it means to clean up, and will put things away with assistance.  This works in direct conjunction with having a place for everything.  When kids know where things belong, it is much easier for them to tidy up.  I'll readily admit that I don't always stick to this rule because it is often much easier and faster to just quickly pick things up myself every day, especially during the week when my older one is away at school.  But it is such an important lesson for kids, and *hopefully* someday all the training will pay off! 

Of course since kids are always changing, the system is constantly evolving to keep up.  A few years ago my husband found a kid-size metal grocery cart (from an actual store) at a garage sale for $5.  When M. was a little younger, we used it to "shop" each evening for things she had left lying around the house.  It was a great system.  She thought it was fun and we ended the day with all the toys picked up.  Unfortunately A. is now at an age where all she wants to do is climb into the grocery cart, which is a disaster waiting to happen.  The cart is now in the attic, waiting for the day that we can use it again!

Happy organizing!

a little crafty

I've been feeling a little crafty lately.  I think my 4 year old is starting to rub off on me.  Or maybe my type-A-never-slow-down personality is still looking for a new hobby to fill the shopping void.  In any case, I've been on a mission this month to stock up on some new craft supplies.

I am a huge fan of Ashley Ann Campbell's blog "Under the Sycamore."  If you haven't checked it out before, I highly recommend it.  She does some really amazing craft projects.  A few weeks ago I read a DiY post on her blog about making bud vases out of bottles using Japanese masking tape.  I was intrigued. I decided I had to have some of this elusive tape.

So I splurged.  I shopped around online, and sadly realized that there were no good deals to be had.  I bit the bullet and paid $32 + $5.70 shipping for 12 rolls of this now very precious tape.

I hope it was worth it.

I never realized before how expensive all this crafty stuff can be.  In my pre-thrifty days, if I wanted to do a craft I would just head to Michael's and buy my supplies.  Okay, so what if my homemade cigar box purse cost me $95 in supplies?  I had fun making it, and that's all that mattered.  Or so I thought.

I don't want to be so consumed with saving money that I abandon the things that bring me joy.  But I do want to try to save where I can.  So I splurged on the tape, but I tried very hard to save everywhere else.  Each week when I get my newspapers, I make sure to clip the 40% off craft store coupons and slip them in my wallet.  That way if I am out and about and happen to pass a craft store, I can pop in and buy one of the items on my list for 40% off.  Sure it's not quite as convenient as simply going to the craft store and stocking up, but starting to realize that life is a work in progress and it doesn't have to happen all at once.  In addition, I started shopping around online for some alternative craft store options.  I found a great deal on ribbon remnants on ebay, and I found a huge bag of buttons on Amazon.com for only a few dollars (with free shipping!).   And I even started becoming more conscious of the things we throw away, saving instead of tossing those items that have craft potential.

And so this evening, when my crafty Princess wanted to do something new, I actually had something new to offer.  We spread out our new crafting treasures and got to work making our own Japanese tape bottles.

girly spa playdate

We are having our annual family portraits taken tomorrow (more on that at a later date), which got me thinking about primping to prepare to look my best.  This will go on the Christmas card, after all!  I desperately need a pedicure, and while the pre-thrifty me would've thought nothing of splurging on a relaxing hour at the spa pampering my toes, ("honey, in Florida it's a 'need,' not a 'want.'), the new budget-conscious me knows I can make my toes look just as pretty at home.  For free.

In a previous life I was the director of a large day spa and salon.  Getting manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages on a regular basis was literally a job requirement.  (Yes, I know, it was a rough job but someone had to do it.)  So while I'm not actually an esthetician or stylist or massage therapist, I do know a thing or two about spa treatments.

Which got me thinking, wouldn't it be fun to have an at-home spa day with my four-going-on-fourteen girly-girl princess?  It took me about 5 seconds to realize that in order to have a spa day, someone needs to be doing the spa services.  (Sigh!)  So we invited a friend to join her after school yesterday, and they had a fun little girly spa playdate by the pool.

I started by gathering a random smattering of kitchen ingredients--oatmeal, sugar, salt, mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, and yogurt--to whip up some homemade beauty remedies.

I let the girls scoop & stir the ingredients.  They had a blast!  We made an oatmeal-yogurt face mask and a sugar-salt-olive oil-lemon juice-oatmeal foot & hand scrub.

I then gathered the rest of our supplies--washcloths, hand & foot cream, lotions, foot soak, & "spa water," and headed outside.  I covered our two chaise lounges with two (old pool) towels each, more to protect the lounge chairs than anything else. 

We swam for a while, until they finally noticed the bowl of soapy water for their feet.

They enjoyed splashing around more than anything else.

Foot soak complete, we moved on to "facials," which involved smearing their faces with our homemade mask and placing chilled teabags on their eyes.  The girls found it hilarious that the teabags kept falling off.

Hand and foot scrubs were next, which were also a hit with the girls.  I'm glad we did it outside on towels because it was a MESS!  There was oatmeal everywhere.

I used the washcloths to wipe off the scrub as best I could, and then the girls headed back into the pool for another swim session.  

Dried off and re-dressed, we moved to phase 2 of our spa day:  nail polish.  (Pink, of course!)

We finished with face painting, (proving once again that the Klutz Face Painting book I bought last year on Amazon.com is one of the best purchases I have ever made!)

Are those two gorgeous girls or what?

And how cute is this?  When A's big brother showed up later that evening, he wanted to get in on the face painting, too.  (Of course tigers aren't girly at all!)  I'm telling you, that book is amazing! 

(For ordering information, click here)

(Total cost: $0)

Zero dollars spent, fun had by all, two happy girls (and one happy big brother.)

Now that's what I call a spa day.

LA-Thanks for letting me borrow your sweet daughter for the day!

P.S.  If you are new to my blog, or haven't been by in a while, don't miss this week's share-the-wealth giveaway, worth $75!  Click here for details!