Five on Friday

One-
Yesterday we were invited to join some of Molly's classmates for lunch and playtime at McDonald's after school. I've never taken them to McDonald's (Nana has) and I probably hadn't been there myself in 10 years. Both girls had a blast playing and I actually had a pretty good salad to eat. When I order Molly a happy meal I was asked if it was for a boy or a girl. I got the girl toy but almost traded it back in for a boy toy. I can't believe they still do this. Molly doesn't have much interest in Barbie's and would much rather have the Hot Wheels Toy. How about ask "Would you like a Barbie toy or Hot Wheels toy?"
 

Two-
Have you ever used the delayed setting on your washing machine? I have a bad habit of throwing in a load of laundry at 8pm and then forgetting about it until I am mostly asleep. I then drag myself out of bed to move it to the dryer to avoid stinky clothes the next morning. Recently I have been using the delay setting on my washer and having it run around 6am and then switching it over to the dryer while the girls eat breakfast. If you think you might forget about it just leave a note by your coffee pot!

Three-
The weather seems like it has finally decided to stay warm. Mornings are still somewhat cool so when picking out clothes for Molly for school I really need a cardigan to go over her spring dresses. For some reason she doesn't have any cardigans, just hoodies and warm jackets. She has always had a jean jacket in her closet but I somehow didn't get her one for this year. We looked at some this morning at Target but the girls section XS is way too big and the toddler section only went up to 4T. It fit her too perfectly and I would prefer to have it fit next fall so we will be looking for a 5T jacket this weekend! A quick trip to Once Upon a Child should do it!

Four-
I cannot watch Jurassic World one more time. I think I have watched it 3 times this week. Molly is obsessed. Lucy has even picked up on the dinosaur love and has been setting up the dinosaur figurines and making roaring noises. Molly's favorite part is the end where the Mosasaurus eats the Indominus Rex and then when the T-Rex roars from the helicopter pad. She will very quickly tell you that the T-Rex is the king of the dinosaurs.

Five-
Since the weather is nice we have been grilling a lot. I am the griller in the family... Dan doesn't really cook at all. Tonight I am grilling some steaks and making my favorite spring/ summer side dish- Israeli Cous Cous Salad. I always make mine with peppers, red onion, big pieces of feta cheese, and Good Seasonings Italian Dressing. I order my 5lb bag of Osem Pearl Cous Cous on amazon.

Cous Cous

Toddler Favorites- 12-18 months

Lucy is 16 months old and is in such a fun phase. She walks well, climbs, and is able to follow simple directions. She is a great eater most of the time and loves fresh fruit. She runs to get her shoes any time I mention going outside. I am constantly changing up toys, packing up things for storage that she has outgrown, and pulling things out of bins that she might enjoy. Here's a few things that we love!

Munchkin Snack Catcher- We have had a few different snack containers and these are our favorites. 

Snack Catcher

Step 2 Woodland Climber- Molly got this for her 2nd birthday and enjoyed it until she got her big swing set for her 3rd birthday. Lucy now loves this little climber. She can go up the ladder and down the slide on her own and loves to stand up top and play peek-a-boo. We found this one second hand on craigslist for around $100.

Climber

B. bath toys- Lucy got these for her first birthday and both of the girls love to play with them in the tub. The usually fight over who gets the captain and life ring!

Bath Toys

Cetaphil Baby Body Wash and Shampoo- Lucy has eczema that has thankfully gone away with age. We have been using this wash for her since she was very young and it helps keep her skin nice and soft. We follow up after bath with Target Brand healing ointment. Aldi recently started carrying the healing ointment in smaller tubes for a great price but I honestly like the tub better!

Wash

Healing Ointment

Beat Bow Wow and Beat Bo- Both of the girls loves to dance with these cute dogs. Beat Bow Wow lights up and dances. Lucy prefers Beat Bo because she can carry him around easily and if she drops him it doesn't smash her little toes. 

Beat Bow Wow

BeatBo

Britax B-Agile Strollers- We have the single and double version of this stroller. The single usually stays in the car but I will switch it out for the double when both girls will want to ride. We used the same stroller with Molly and still love it. 

Single Stroller

Double Stroller

Britax Boulevard Car Seat- We used the same carseat with Molly and it still looks great. It is extremely easy to install and is very comfortable for Lucy. 

Car Seat

Aden and Anais Sleepsack- For naps Lucy doesn't use a sleepsack. Her room is warm during the day but it cools off at night. I still like to put her in a thin sleepsack. I have a few different designs in these muslin sleepsacks. I just feel better putting her in these at night. She does sleep with a small blanket and lovie as well. 

Sleepsack

And of course Lucy's favorite book-

Dada Book

She does occasionally say Mama but its mostly Dada or even Daddy... mom is chopped liver!

Weekend Fun!

This weekend the weather was beautiful. We spent as much time outside as possible. Of course I had planned 2 indoor activities planned but I guess you can't spend ALL day outside!

Friday we spent the morning cleaning carpets. This always disgusts me and makes me happy at the same time. I took care of our master bedroom, the man room, and the rug in the living room. Although the rug looked clean IT WAS NOT! This ikea rug amazes me! After 3 years it still looks clean, even with 2 kids and a dog.

Ikea Rug

The girls enjoyed lunch outside and I decided to see how Lucy would do at the little picnic table vs. her high chair. She sat perfectly and ate her entire lunch. Both girls would eat a few bites, go play for a minute, then come back and eat more. Whatever it takes to get them to eat a good meal! I thought I could spend a few minutes cleaning up sticks and pinecones from the storm earlier in the week but forgot I had left Lucy's yogurt on the table. She enjoyed it with her hands. 

Friday Afternoon we played in the front on bikes and scooters. Molly was having so much fun I couldn't make her come inside so I could cook dinner so dinner got very delayed and we didn't eat until almost 7. We normally eat at 6 so by 7pm Lucy was climbing into her high chair begging for food.  She didn't care about snacks she just wanted dinner! 

Cheers to Happy Hour in the cul-de-sac!

Saturday Molly and I ran some errands while Lucy took her morning nap at home with Daddy. I worked in the yard a bit and then we got Molly dressed up to head to the movies. Her two grandma's that live in town joined us. We all loved the movie and I was amazed that Molly made it through the whole thing. She had to get up and dance like Belle a few times but other than that she sat nicely.

After the movie we all came back home for some homemade pulled pork BBQ, slaw, and banana pudding. Somehow we still had an appetite after eating our weight in popcorn at the movies!

On Sunday we spent the morning playing in the backyard and building with Lego's. Molly ate and early lunch and and took a little nap so we could head to a PJ Library passover pottery painting event in the early afternoon. I was really excited for this event but Molly really had no interest in painting. She isn't a huge fan of arts and crafts but I did manage to get her to paint a little bit. I can't wait to pick our piece up later this week and see how it turns out!

After the PJ Library event we ran over to Costco to get our membership. Costco opened a few months ago but we have been waiting for our Sam's Club membership to expire. I am so glad that we switched over but I fear for the bank account. Luckily I couldn't deal with the weekend crowds so we quickly grabbed a few things are scooted out of the store ASAP! 

I'll stick to weekday shopping from now on!

Hope you all had a great weekend! 

5 On Friday!

1- Monday morning started with spilled cereal and milk all over the kitchen floor. Molly just knew that "Mop hardwoods" was on my Monday to do list. I thought this might have been a preview of the week ahead but thankfully I was wrong.

2- Last Saturday was a gloomy day so I took the girls to the mall. I might go to the mall twice a year so this was rare for us! The girls played in the playarea and then we grabbed Chick Fila in the food court and managed to stop in a few stores. Gap was having a mystery sale and our coupon was for 50% off any regular priced items. We didn't really need anything but matching bathing suits for the girls were just too cute to pass up. At 50% off they were only $12 each!

3- We also ran into Bath and Body Works to grab some new candles. Molly insisted on smelling every candle in the store while my goal was to get in and out, as quickly as possible without crashing the stroller into a display or having Molly break anything! We grabbed two candles and have been enjoying them all week! 

Pink Sands and Petals

We also got a purple one called "Rainforest Gardenia" that isn't shown online. 

Both are great spring floral scents. 

4- Molly had a busy week. She started soccer practice on Tuesday and had her 4 year old check up on Thursday. Molly did great at soccer practice and Dan did great as assistant coach to a team of 3/4 year olds! Her 4 year old check up was great until it was time for shots. I had to pretty much lay on top of her to hold her down. She is a strong girl. I am glad we were the last ones in the doctors office because her screaming was super loud and continued for a while after the shots were actually administered. Glad that is over with! 

We went to get sno-cones after and everything was magically better!

5- This morning I made bread-eggies for the everyone. Molly calls them "Eggs in a beezerball basket" thanks to a Dr. Seuss book she has. I grew up calling them bread-eggies. Dan calls them Rocky mountain toast. What do you call them? 

Teaching Toddlers about Fire Safety

Yesterday I woke up to very sad news in our community about a house fire that killed 4 people, injured 1, and left 2 older children without parents. It hit hard... really hard. I didn't know the family personally but know a few families they went to church with and from posts I saw on Facebook you just knew that this was such a good family. The fire destroyed their entire home and the mother, father and two young children were unable to escape. My heart hurts for this family and all who knew them.

This got me thinking what steps we can take to help keep our kids safe from fires and educate them on fire safety.


1. Change the Batteries in your smoke detectors regularly:
We change our smoke detector batteries every 6 months when daylight savings time occurs. It seems like a silly thing to remind people of but we actually went 3 years at our old house without ever changing the batteries. I was reminded in the middle of the night of this when one started beeping non-stop. While it was annoying it is such a simple thing to do. In our new house we have had issues with our smoke detectors going off randomly, always in the middle of the night. They will go off for a few seconds and then shut off. * When they go off I literally fly out of bed before the first beep even stops. I run as fast as I can to the steps to go grab my kids. Times like these terrify me to have my master downstairs and my kids upstairs. By the time I get to the steps the alarm usually stops. I go back to my room and check the monitor and both my kids are sound asleep. Did they even hear the alarm? I know the alarms went off in both of their rooms because they are all wired together.

Studies have shown the small children can easily sleep through the beeping of a smoke alarm. New alarms feature a voice that says "Fire" to help alert children. Our smoke alarms are also carbon monoxide detectors and will also alert you if that is the reason for the alarm by saying "Carbon Monoxide detected". Do you live in an older home? You might want to check out your detectors and upgrade them. You also might want to make sure you have detectors in every room of your house. We have them in each bedroom, one in the main living area downstairs and two in the upstairs hallway.

*I have had our smoke detectors check by an electrician and the fire department and they are fine. I was actually told to make sure they are free from dust so every so often I clean them with the dust buster. Dog hair or small dust particles can cause them to go off.

2. Take time to think about a plan:
Do your kids know what to do if the alarm goes off? Obviously Lucy is just a baby but Molly is 4 now and has learned a lot about fire safety at school. They have monthly fire drills and are taught to not panic when the alarm goes off but drop low to the ground and wait for an adult to tell them what to do. She came home from school one day asking me what her escape plan was.. made me sit down and think for a moment. Do you have an escape plan? What if you couldn't use your steps?

3. Get your children comfortable with firefighters:
One thing I would have never thought about before having kids in how scary looking a fireman can be in all of their gear. They sound scary too when they have their mask on. Would your child go to a firefighter, a stranger, in an emergency situation? We were lucky to be invited to a fire station birthday party when Molly was 2. She got to see a firefighter in his gear and then see him take the gear off to reveal a friendly man. If your child has not had the chance to see something like this you should find an event to attend or even call your local fire department to arrange something. Our local stations do birthday parties at no charge, they are happy to educate the children on fire safety.

4. Get books about fire safety! Your local library has tons! 
Here are a few books that Molly read at school during fire safety week. Books are such a great gateway to conversation with toddlers.

Stop Drop and Roll

No Dragons for Tea

Fire Drill

5. Get a fire extinguisher! 
A small fire can quickly be extinguished with a small fire extinguisher. We keep one under the kitchen sink. Both my sister and parents have had small kitchen fires in the past few years. Both had fire extinguishers under the sink and were able to quickly put the fires out. Spend the $20 and make sure you have one!

Fire Extinguisher

6. Get a fireproof safe
It is important to keep birth certificates, social security cards, copies of drivers licenses and other important documents safe from fire and other natural disasters. It is also advised to keep some cash in case of emergency. We recently bought the safe below and try and keep things as updated as possible in it just in case we ever need it. I'd rather be safe than having to deal with unnecessary paperwork after a disaster.

Safe

Favorite Wedding Gifts

It is wedding season and I have been purchasing a lot of wedding gifts lately. I love looking at people's wedding registries. I don't know what it is but it is fun for me. I like to look at it and wonder "When will they ever use that?" or "Man I wish I had that!"

I love to cook so I have a pretty well stocked kitchen. Most of it is from our wedding and Christmas/ Hanukkah/ Birthday gifts over the years. I thought I would list my top 10 favorite wedding gifts that I regularly use and then a few things I registered for that we NEVER use!

1. Everyday Dishes

I love my Pottery Barn Emma dinnerware. I registered for 12 place setting (4 in each of the colors it came in) and then shortly after our wedding they came out with a blue color so I used gift cards to purchase 4 more place settings. I love having a lot of dishes. I can have a large dinner party without having to use plastic plates! Sometimes I do wish I had registered for only white because the other pastel colors are hard to match to other decor. I also don't like the coffee cups that came with the set. They are far too small for a mom sized cup of coffee and the handle isn't comfortable to hold.
I have been using the dishes daily since December of 2009 and they have very few chips. 

 

Emma Dinnerware

Now only available in white

 2. Mini Food Processor-
I use this all of the time for making salsa's, sauces, and even baby food. It is small, easy to clean, and much faster to grab than my large food processor.

Mini Prep Food Processor

3. Large Reidel Vase-

This was not something I registered for nor something I thought I would use often but I was wrong. In 2009, when we got married, Target carried a special collection of Reidel crystal and stemware. This vase is super heavy and looks beautiful filled with flowers. I love that it can hold a huge bouquet and doesn't tip over! I leave it out on our bookshelves even when it is empty because it is so pretty.

4. Calphalon Non-stick Pan Set

These are my go to pans for cooking. I rarely use my stainless pans. I am actually on my 3rd 10" pan but I don't think that is bad over 7 years. I use the small pan at least once a day. The set is a great deal at Bed Bath and Beyond especially when combined with a 20% off coupon. This is also one of my favorite wedding gifts to purchase because I know the couple will use it often! 

Non Stick Pan Set

5. Cuisinart Coffee Pot

I have been using this same coffee pot for the past 7 years. I set my coffee up the night before and have it programmed to turn on a little before I wake up. I have considered getting a Kuerig many times but always change my mind. 

Coffee Pot

6. Le Creuset Dutch Oven

This was not on my registry either but it the gift one of my moms friends gives. It probably sat in my cabinet for the first two year until I knew how wonderful cooking in it could be. I have the 5.5 quart and it is the perfect size for my family of 4. It is so easy to clean and cooks everything from soups to pastas and casseroles or even a roast. 

Dutch Oven

7. Bedding Essentials- Sheets, Duvet, Down Comforter, pillows

When we got married we lived in an apartment and had a queen sized bed. We were in the process of building our first house and planned to have a king sized bed once we moved. It was so nice to have all of the essential bedding items ready when we moved. I remember having everything washed and ready to go and as soon as the furniture was delivered at the new house I quickly made the bed. We registered for white sheets and a tan duvet with matching Euro shams to keep things easy to match down the road when we chose paint and accessories. Changing bed sizes can be be costly because bedding adds up fast! If you know you are going to be going from a queen to a king eventually go ahead and register for basic king bedding essentials! 

8. Bath Sheets

We registered for plenty of bath towels, hand towels, and wash clothes but didn't register for bath sheets. A friend gave use Monogrammed bath sheets as a shower gift and they are the only wedding towels we still use. Recently I donated all of our smaller bath towels (that only seemed to shrink with time) and replaced them with bath sheets. Maybe it is something to do with age but the larger the towel the better! 

9. KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I think this is on every wedding registry nowadays. I love mine and use it at least once a week. I don't have any attachments for it and have never really needed them. I was advised to register for an extra bowl. I actually got it as a gift but decided it wasn't necessary and returned it. In 7 years I have never had a need for an extra bowl. The bowl is really easy to clean so it isn't much trouble to quickly clean it to use again.  I did have to buy a new whisk attachment as mine got bent! It's nice to be able to easily purchase replacement pieces. 

My mother in law recently got her first stand mixer. I couldn't believe she had gone so long without it! 

Stainless Stand Mixer

10. OXO mixing bowl set

These mixing bowls are great. They don't slide all over the counter and have a nice handle to hold while mixing or pouring. The sizes are perfect for all of your cooking needs. I don't like to use metal mixing bowls because of the metal to metal scratching sound so these are perfect for me!

Mixing Bowls

And now for the things we NEVER use:

1. Martini Glass Set

I have a set of 8 martini glasses that I don't think we have ever used! Martini's were all the rage when we got married. Maybe it was a "Sex in the City" thing but I just had to have martini glasses. They just sit in the cabinet now, taking up a lot of space. I don't even drink liquor. I should have gotten a nicer set of wine glasses instead. 

2. Cheap Heavy Wine Glasses

I registered for 8 all purpose wine glasses. They were pretty cheap and very heavy. We got all purpose because I am not a red wine drinker and Dan doesn't really drink wine so we didn't see the need for red glasses and white glasses.

They have joined the martini glasses in just taking up space in the bar cabinet. I much prefer a light weight stemless glass. We have some Riedel stemless glasses that are so much nicer to use. I think I will eventually just donate the old glasses and get a nice set to replace them.

3. Napkins and napkin rings

We have a set of cheap satiny feeling cream napkins and some swirly napkin rings. I may have used them 3 times in the past 7 years. It's not that I don't like cloth napkins, I just don't like the ones we have! A fun print or a classic cotton or linen napkin would have matched our taste much better. I'll add that to my wish list!

4. Nambe Candle Sticks and Salt and Pepper shaker

I think I might eventually use the candle sticks for Shabbat but for now we use a much cheaper set because who wants to clean wax off of expensive candle sticks? For now the Nambe set is just decorating the side table in the dining. Joining those never used candlesticks is the never used salt and pepper shaker. I did put salt and pepper in them and then my husband went into the kitchen and got the grocery store salt and pepper grinders and set them on the table. So now they sit as decoration as well. 

What were your favorite wedding gifts?

Do you have anything you just had to have but never ended up really using?