LOVE These Bags!!!

Do you remember seeing the aprons my friend Charlene made the girls for their birthday???

This was taken EARLY on the morning of their birthday...hence the look on A's face!

The girls LOVE to be in the kitchen with me, and we use their aprons all the time.  Here's a recent action shot, when the girls and I were making sugar cookies.

A few weeks ago, Miss Charlene sent the girls another of her creations, these adorable drawstring bags.

I knotted the strings in front of the girls' shoulders so they would fit like backpacks.  Un-knotted, the drawstrings are long enough that I can wear the bags, too.

The girls think they CANNOT go to tumbling without their own water bottle in their own bag.  And I can hardly stand the cuteness.  :)  :)

I just wanted to share this sweet picture, in the spirit of what's working for us these days.

Charlene -- a fellow twin-mama -- blogs at Adventures-in-Mommy-Land, where she features all sorts of awesome crafts.  She has a link to her Etsy site, Sew Charlene, on her blog.  She has some of the most adorable aprons -- for kids and adults -- along with these great bags.

Thank you, Charlene, for some of our favorite -- and most adorable! -- add-ons.

Weekly Awareness: Utility

By no means do we live in a palatial estate, but our house is plenty big for a family of four.  You'd never guess that by looking at our tiny pantry, though.

I have never been able to fathom the design...how in the world is a family supposed to store any amount of food?  Was it built, assuming the "average" family eats out a lot?  Or was the design to encourage the consumption of only fresh fruits and vegetables?

I know I'm reading too much into it...I can't imagine either of those scenarios was considered...but it's maddening, nonetheless.

Until the girls were born, it wasn't such a huge issue.  (I was only cooking for two people, we did eat out more, and it was no big deal to run to the store in the middle of the week.)

But over the past three years, I've really felt frustrated with my storage space.  I've loosely had the idea to call in the storage solution folks, but I hadn't made it a priority.

At the beginning of the summer, I told Hubby that I wanted to invest in the pantry.  He agreed, and I finally made it happen.

Here are the "before" pictures...

The shelves were 16" deep, so I had two "layers" of most things.  I cleaned out the pantry once a month...otherwise I'd forget what was "hidden".

The bottom of the pantry had a lot of wasted space.  The cooler bags toppled over frequently, "hiding" my potatoes and onions and garlic.

We added this door organizer as soon as we moved into the house, having had it in a previous house.  It's a great space-saver, but it was jammed with too many things.

And here are the "after" pictures...

I had the shelves reduced to a 12" depth, which allowed for an L-shaped "return" on one side.  I have more usable space and fewer things "layered".  We added another really high shelf for things I don't use very often.  Between everything, I have two almost-empty shelves!!!

This is my very favorite feature...I LOVE this basket system!  Not only does it help me organize many smaller things, but it really takes advantage of the large space at the bottom of the pantry.

A close-up on one of the drawers...look at all my teas!  I have one deeper drawer for all my baking supplies (chips and nuts and chocolates).  And the bottom drawer holds my potatoes, onions, and garlic.

No change to the inside of the door, other than I was able to reorganize and neaten it up a bit.

I bought a few new storage containers for sugar, flours, and such.  (The ones I had dated back to the mid-90's...ack!)  I just need to buy a basket of some sort to hold open bags of pasta and rice.

We've had our new shelving system in place for almost a month, and I couldn't be happier.  It's really one of those things that I now wish I'd done a long time ago.

I'm filing this under my AWARENESS challenge for 2012.  This experience is a reminder to me to invest in the utility of things that can really make my life a little easier...things I use every single day, multiple times.  It's worth it!!!

The Taste of Summer in Red-White-and-Blue

We got together with some sweet friends on Sunday, in celebration of Memorial Day, but we didn't have big plans for the day of.

Spur-of-the-moment on Monday we decided to brave the HEAT and walk to the park, which -- in hindsight -- wasn't the brightest idea.  Even at 10:30, the equipment was so hot we could only enjoy a couple of things.  Still, it was a new adventure (we'd never walked to the park before), and it wore the girls out and made for a very peaceful nap time (for all of us!).

Monday afternoon I decided to get the girls in the red-white-and-blue spirit.  I got out my paper punches and bag of sequins.  They made cupcake toppers that we glued onto coffee stirs.

Then they got to work layering some fresh fruit in small cups.   

[In between the strawberries and blueberries, I whipped together about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese with a tablespoon or so of brown sugar, with a splash of milk.  The top layer is whipped cream (from a can...don't judge!).  We topped it with a dusting of graham cracker crumbs.  It was really refreshing!]

The girls were SO proud of their creations!

And they turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

I'm still not brave enough to really let the girls loose in the kitchen...but in measured doses, they have such a great time...and so do I!

I'm linking up again today with Charlene at Adventures-in-Mommy-Land for Hey, Mom! Look What I Did!  Thanks to Charlene for so much great crafty inspiration week after week!

Fab Stuff on a Friday!

Sometimes the few days after Hubby has been on vacation, home with us, can be challenging…getting back into the routine…playing zone defense instead of man-to-man.  I’m thankful we made the transition pretty well this week, and that I have lots of fabulousness to report!

1)      The girls have been really into their train set every day this week.  I love seeing them constructing it in different ways.  (And Mommy likes to play just as much as they do!)

2)      Baby A “made a computer” (out of two puzzle boxes).  I loved hearing the email she was dictating to our cat…”Dear Sasha, I hope you’re upstairs and I hope you’re staying well.” 

3)      We had fun playing with plastic Easter eggs in the bathtub this week.  The girls experimented with making them float and sink, and watched the water drain out of the little holes in the ends.  They have talked about it every day since.

4)      Baby A has been into dressing up this week, and her outfit du jour just makes me laugh…a tutu, a too-big sunhat, and a “backpack” made from putting her arms through the straps of a purse.

5)      Baby B has been the Queen of Reminders lately.  She overheard her daddy reminding me to treat a stain on his shirt one morning.  “Don’t forget to treat the stain, Mommy!”  And another day, “Don’t forget to tell Daddy the lawn people haven’t come!”  I actually welcomed the help on both occasions!

6)      We practiced using scissors for the first time in quite a while.  Both girls did really well!  They’re not cutting out shapes, by any means, but they can cut strips pretty proficiently.

7)      I had to laugh at B as she ran up to me one morning, holding a puzzle piece.  “Quick question for ya, Mommy,” she rolled off her tongue.  I swear she sounded like a little business person!

8)      Baby A has long been a little kangaroo, jumping and hopping…and Baby B has finally joined the ranks.  She doesn’t get it right every time, but she can do some of the cutest little hops.  And I recorded Baby A forward jumping a good 18”…wow!

9)      On Thursday afternoon we had an impromptu park date with Daddy.  It was a gorgeous day and the girls had a blast.  Since our last park visit, they both scaled a jungle gym-type ladder, and they both spent some time in the big-kid swings.  We topped the afternoon off with a very rare Thursday night dinner out.

10)   The girls have been extra curious about the goings on in the kitchen as of late.  This morning I let them sit on the barstools on the other side of the island, and we played “cooking show” while I made breakfast.  It wasn’t my most efficient effort at cream of wheat, but they enjoyed it!

Hope you had a fabulous week, too!

You Know What They Say about Green M&M's...

...apparently, you have to be LUCKY to find them!

What did you think I was going to say???

I have seen a couple variations of sweet little treats on Pinterest, using green M&M's to make a clover for St. Patty's Day.

I began searching for an elusive bag of green M&M's, rumored to be mint-flavored. (My mouth waters as I type that.)

The girls were troopers, looking at four different stores over a period of a couple of days. And they began to employ a cute phrase in the process, "Our quest continues!"

Finally, close to defeat, I summoned my inner MacGyver. I figured there had to be quite a few green M&M's in a standard bag, right?

If I had been thinking ahead, I would have had the girls help me sort the M&M's by color. But this leprechaun was working the second shift, and I engaged in that little exercise myself.

Here's my resulting version...


I dipped small pretzels in chocolate, and pressed M&M's into the cut-outs. I love how they turned out! And they're yummy, too...a delicious combination of salty and sweet, with crunch from the pretzel and the candy coating. Mmmmm....

If green M&M's were more readily available, how cute would these be in cellophane, tied with an "I'm so LUCKY you're my friend!" tag?

I don't see that happening for this holiday, though, as I would have to buy an awful lot of bags of M&M's...and neither my wallet nor my thighs would be very happy.

I'm already looking forward to possibilities for future holidays...like dark chocolate-dipped pretzels with brown, orange, and yellow candies to welcome fall...and white chocolate-dipped pretzels for Christmas, with green and red M&M's.

And in case you're wondering, in an 8-serving, 12.6oz bag of M&M's, I found 43 green M&M's.

(It feels really sad that I know that.) :/

Fabulous Friday!

We’ve had our share of rain this week, but we did enjoy a bit of time outside, including a really invigorating jaunt with the jogging stroller. I think it was December 30th, or there about, the last time we did that…way too long! I’m very thankful for that, and so many fabulous things this week!

1) Baby A has been pretending to fold laundry, and she is some kind of serious about it. She buzzes around like it’s her JOB to fold the little doll blankets in the den. And she really does an excellent job of it, matching the corners almost perfectly…that’s my girl!

2) The girls have been really into crafts lately, which just makes me smile. We’ve done lots of water colors, crayons, and stickers. I got out the girls’ scissors one day, and I was so surprised how well they did! Baby A, in particular, cut a piece of paper into about six strips, all by herself. I can foresee our crafting hitting new levels soon!

3) I let the girls help me in the kitchen on Thursday afternoon. I measured out everything to make Strawberry-Kiwi Shortcake, and they had a lot of fun dumping everything together and stirring. They were beyond excited to tell Daddy what they’d made. He was teasing them, calling it “Tall Cake”, though. Baby B didn’t find an ounce of humor in that. She was very defensive over her “Shortcake”.

4) After a particularly good nap on Tuesday, I decided to treat the girls at the yogurt shop. Daddy met us there after school, and we had a sweet time together. I then tempted fate and stopped by the grocery store to pick up a couple of things…sans stroller. I’m so thankful to report we had a successful trip!

5) Baby A woke up early a few days ago, and so she was already downstairs when I got B up. Baby B and I were alone in the bathroom, and I just couldn’t resist telling her how cute she was…sitting on the potty with her bed-head and super-soft fleece pajamas. “And I’m sweet!” she added. “Like a dessert!”

6) Baby A was trying to tell me something one day, and I just couldn’t understand what word she was getting at. She finally said, “Seep!!! A little lamb!” It’s happened a couple of times where she’s offered an explanation for something, which just amazes me.

7) A very sweet friend sent the girls a couple of new CDs for their birthday. They are in.love. with one, and they request it most mornings after breakfast. It is amazing to me how quickly they’ve picked up on so many words already. And I just love how Baby A asks to dance with me to the first song. She wants me to pick her up (which is rare), and dance around. I very happily oblige.

Hope you had a fabulous week, as well!

In the Kitchen with A & B

I have long dreamed of cooking with my kiddos in the kitchen.

Due to the logistical challenge to date presented by my two hands vs. the four hands of two, two-year olds [if you follow], it's only happened a handful of times.

As the girls are getting a bit older, and occasionally more predictable [is that an oxymoron?], I'm very slowly getting a little braver.

During our latest endeavor, the girls "helped" me make pimento cheese. I pre-measured all the ingredients, and I let them each (one at a time) dump a couple of different things into the bowl and stir.

For the grand finale, they got to watch me use the mixer...just like Corduroy and Curious George in a couple of our storybook adventures.




Baby steps...for them and for me...but I hope it's the continued start of a long love for creating things in the kitchen.

Pimento Cheese Spread
2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. softened butter
4 oz. jar of chopped pimentos, drained
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Combine ingredients in a bowl by hand, then use a hand mixer on low speed to fully incorporate all ingredients together. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.

Spread will harden in refrigerator; set out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before serving to allow spread to soften. (To use as a dip, you can microwave what you plan to eat for a few seconds [carefully!] to soften more quickly.)

An Edible All-American Craft

What's more American than baseball and apple pie???

How 'bout football and S'mores?!!!

I'm from the deep south, where football is King, and -- no offense to my grandmother's famous apple pie -- but I'm guessing that delicacy actually has roots on the European continent.

We don't have any big plans for the Independence Day holiday, so I wanted to do some "All-American" things with the girls, and I decided to introduce them to the fine art of S'mores.

I saw a post* a couple of weeks ago that inspired me to get the girls in the kitchen with me to construct S'mores on a Stick.

I used 14 large marshmallows, 14 pretzel sticks, 2 squares of chocolate bark, melted, and 2 full graham crackers, loosely crushed.

I divided the task into two phases. First, I had the girls put the pretzel sticks in the marshmallows:

Then, while the girls had a little snack with the hubs, I melted the chocolate and set up the second phase. I dipped each marshmallow, one at a time, in chocolate, and then let the girls help me roll it in the graham cracker crumbs.

I put our creations on wax paper to set (maybe 30 minutes or so).

And after supper, the girls got to enjoy a little taste of Americana!

[Note: I have heard horror stories of the choking hazards of marshmallows. I watched the girls VERY closely while they ate. They did a really great job, taking small bites and chewing really well.]

*If you don't know what goes on at Adventures-in-Mommy-Land, I'd encourage you to check out all the amazing crafts and cool recipes she makes with her kiddos. This super savvy mom of six -- including B/G twins -- does a lot of crafts that are book-inspired, too.

Why I Feel a Great Sense of Responsibility for the Rising Price of Crude Oil

That's one day's worth of plastic ware!!!

Before the girls were born, I knew we would have our share of plastic toys, but I didn't realize how much plastic I would have to make room for in my kitchen!

The girls' cups and bowls and plates and forks and spoons now consume the bottom shelf of one large cabinet.

Move over, pretty coffee cups! Get outta the way, delicate serving platters! There are some new kids in town, and they like it rough and tumble, and the brighter the color, the better.

While the girls are usually pretty good about not throwing their plates and cups, I still don't think they're ready for actual glass or ceramic. And I expect the thought of pointy fork tines will probably scare me for a while.

No, I think plastic is the way to go for us right now.

I don't think the girls much care what color their cups and plates and bowls are, although it does serve as a great prompt for dinner conversation.

Kiddie plastic ware just seems to come in the most outrageous color combinations...and maybe that's part of what makes it seem so obnoxious to me.

...well, that, and the fact that it's taking over my kitchen...one cabinet and dishwasher rack at a time.