Dress Up Bin for BOYS!

While this post is titled dress up bin for boys, this can be done for girls as well. As a mother of two little boys I feel like “dress up” has a defined gender role and has been pushed into the girls’ only category. But little boys love to play pretend too and I think it is perfectly acceptable for little boys to run around in costume using their imaginations.

My sister-in-law, Wendy, must agree as well because she created the most fun and entertaining gift for my boys. She created a dress up bin. She created costumes for the boys that appeal to everything boys love. There is a fireman, a police officer, a banker, a dinosaur, a clown, a super-hero, a doctor, and a pirate. She is so crafty – I am always impressed with the things she thinks up and how creative she can be.

I say creative because these costumes are not store bought costumes from a Halloween store. Some of the costumes are hand sewn and others are pieced together from dollar store finds and thrift shop discoveries. The boys play with every single one of the costumes and frequently ask mom and dad to dress up too!

Almost halfway there #Pregnancy Week 19

How Far Along: 19 Weeks Pregnant {19 weeks 5 days}

Due Date: June 22^nd, 2013

Boy or girl: Big gender reveal to come soon … I know, but I am trying to be a little creative with this reveal and think a little intrigue will be fun!

Bump Picture: Bump, bump, bump {baby}… Bump, bump, bump {baby}… Bump, bump, bump {baby}… I am having a total Sheldon Cooper Big Bang Theory moment. Oh and I took the picture myself again this week {I am sure that ME holding the camera was the first clue}.

Brotherly Love

It seems this week that every time I have turned around my two boys were connected at the hips. They have had their heads together laughing at one thing or another. They have been playing nicely together. They have been reading to each other. They have been snuggling up together to enjoy their favorite shows. It has been really sweet to be able to witness and it makes my heart happy to see my children getting along so well.

EASY Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I love fruit {as do my children} and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner I have been looking for fun ways to combine two of my favorite things – chocolate and fruit!

Over the holidays this year I made my own no-bake chocolate truffles and I created my own dark chocolate shells. It was surprisingly simple. So simple in fact that I took a cue from that experience and used it to make my own dark chocolate covered strawberries for the boys. The gobbled these up like it was no one’s business and when they were all gone, they asked for more.

Product Review: Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin {Giveaway}

There is very little in my world that smells worse than dirty diapers. I am not a fan. In fact I don’t know many people, if any, who enjoy this smell. It is just one of the unpleasantries that parents have to deal with. Like spit up and sleepless nights, dirty diapers are a rite of passage into parenthood. But that doesn’t mean that you have to hold your nose and suffer in silence.

Munchkin, a brand my family has been using since the birth of our first child in 2009, has come out with a new diaper pail to combat the stink of dirty diapers.  The good people at Munchkin have teamed up with Arm & Hammer to create a diaper pail that seals away odor after each and every use. It is really easy to use and really easy to refill… Did I mention that it really does a great job of eradicating the stench of dirty diapers from my home?

Finding out the Baby’s Gender

When people find out that you are pregnant they usually immediately follow up with the question “Do you know what you are having?” or “Is it a boy or a girl?” This is pretty typical, or at least this has been my experience when sharing my news. I do not find this question insulting or nosy. Heck, I am probably guilty of doing this too!

While some people choose to keep the gender of their baby a secret, I feel the need to know.  I am a planner and an organizer and I am way to type-A to not find out. I like to nest. I like to buy clothes and baby gear. I like to get the nursery decorated. I like being able to refer to the child growing in my belly by name. There are about a gazillion and one reasons why I feel the need to know. Mostly, it is just because I simply lack the patience to wait and be surprised.

Product Review and Giveaway: Motorola MBP36 Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor

Baby monitors have come a long way in a short amount of time and I could not be more impressed with the thought and innovation that companies are putting into their products. I am specifically referring to the Motorola Digital Baby Monitor.

The short version of why I am such a fan of this monitor is quite simple. It does it all. It has video capabilities, audio capabilities, zoom capabilities, comes with a rechargeable battery, and can be used day or night. It is user friendly and in all honesty – I think it’s really just fun to play with! Right now I have one camera in my preschooler’s room and one camera in my toddler’s room. I have a lot of fun just seeing what the kids are up to in their rooms when they think no one is looking.

When I had my first child in 2009 we received an audio only baby monitor as part of our registry. When baby number 2 came around we upgraded to a single camera video monitor. And now that baby number three is coming we are upgrading once again to a double camera digital video baby monitor that has all the bells and whistles and is easy to use!

Kid Craft Failure: The not so PUFFY paint.

I share the good, the bad, the successes, and the failures here. This week our Kid Craft was a HUGE failure. Seriously. Have you seen the picture of the Cookie Monster Cupcake pin on Pinterest where the original pin is super cute and then the attempt to make the pin was a disaster… that was this week’s craft.

Getting worn out easily this time around #Pregnancy Week 18

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Due Date: June 22^nd, 2013

Boy or girl: We don’t know the gender yet… but will find out soon!

Bump Picture: Here I am… bumpity bump bump bump.

A Day off spent at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry!

I know that I have said it before and I will say it again, I absolutely adore Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Even on a super crowded day {I mean seriously crowded… the most crowded I have ever seen it!}, my family was able to walk around, explore, and enjoy this attraction to our hearts content. This was a great way for our family to spend Martin Luther King Day!

What is your favorite family friendly attraction?

Http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Quick and Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

I love chicken parmesan. I like to pair it with a little salad and some garlic bread for a well rounded meal… but in a bind I am perfectly content with just the chicken parmesan. In fact it might be my absolute favorite meal to eat.

Some restaurants make phenomenal chicken parmesan and some restaurants completely botch it. My favorite chicken parmesan to eat is the chicken parmesan my husband makes. It is tender, juicy, and crisp all at the same time. I love it and am excited to share the recipe with you!

Kid Craft: Volcano Vacation

I told you last week that I was planning on trying out more kid crafts with the children in order to keep us sane this winter. Since we are stuck indoors a lot we will be getting crafty more and more often - at least this is the goal. I am happy to say that we stuck with it and had ourselves a good time in the process.

This week’s indoor activity for the kids involved a little science. We made some volcanoes and then we made them erupt. I call this little activity Volcano Vacation. We make volcanoes and it is a vacation from the ordinary… that and I am a fan of alliteration.