Random Acts of Christmas Kindness! MUST DO!*

I was trying to figure out a way to do a Christmas Advent Calendar with my kids, but in a way that could teach them about the actual Spirit of CHRISTmas, instead of just opening up a little door to grab a piece of chocolate.  I found some of the most amazing ideas!  This one was my favorite.

You can display the advent however you want.  Some people put little boxes within a suitcase to open up, or hung tiny bags on string.  You can use your creative side to make it look cute - but the whole idea is just amazing.  It's called "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness", and I found it all on this link- http://tsjphotography.com/blog/random-acts-of-christmas-kindness-summary/.   The idea is setting up 25 different random acts of kindness for each day of December, and placing this little piece of paper that says "you've been RACK'ed" along with your gift or treat.  Here are some of the random acts of Christmas kindness that I plan on doing...

1-  make a card and a treat for your mailman/woman in my mailbox for them to pick up:)
2- donate clothes, books or food to a charity or shelter
3- placing treats in shopping carts at the grocery
4- attaching quarters to vending machines, or toy machines
5- bringing a warm drink to the Salvation Army volunteer, volunteering with the Salvation Army:),
6-deliver christmas treats to someone working the Christmas Eve, Christmas day shifts
7-make and deliver "blessings bags" for the homeless
8- adopt a family in need

... the list could go on and on!! I am so excited to take part in this!  Can't wait to show you how it went for us!  Try it with your family this Christmas.  What a blessing we can be for each other this holiday season.  It encourages me to practice more random acts of kindness year round.  Let's spread God's love with one another! :)

KIDS PLAY TENTS!

PLAY TENTS!

I am just absolutely obsessed with these kid play tents!  They are so precious.  I can't think of a better nook for a little one to camp out, read, hide, or "play house" in.  So many different colors and themes swarm the market, but my favorites are in these pictures I posted.  You can also make one yourself if you are handy and don't feel like spending the $200-ish most of these are sold for.  And changing up the colors make it more fun for a boy or girl, or gender neutral!  I will be attempting to make one when we move and hopefully have a play room for my daughter!   This one that drapes from the ceiling and has little "windows", drapes, and book pockets is my daughter's favorite.  If anyone has DIY instructions feel free to leave below.  Perfect gift for your child for Christmas!  

Do your own Professional-looking Photos!

I recently welcomed my little man, Roman into the world on Sept. 5, 2012.  What I decided to do for Roman that I regretfully didn't do for my daughter, Reese, was a professional newborn photo shoot.  It was such a blast.  My photographer came over with a HUGE bin of different props and hats.  It was then that I discovered the tricks of the trade with baby and kid's photographers.  She whipped out this rubber faux-wood "floor" (mat) and lined it up to the crown molding on my wall to make it look like my apartment had hardwood!  Genius!  After the photoshoot I immediately bought my own mat from a shop on Etsy and I plan to use it for any little spontaneous photoshoots I want to have with my kids.  I can't wait.  They are in such high demand so if you want your own make sure you order it weeks before you need to use it!  

BEST RECIPE EVER!**

Ok I don't know about you - but I'm getting a little freaked out by the holiday music and the Christmas decor everywhere while I'm in shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops in the 80 degree weather here in Houston!  But hey - I love the holidays!  What I really love most is knowing that the family will be able to spend real quality time together.  It's always a blast to cook or bake some good food, share stories and live out the holiday traditions.  Or make new traditions!

To get your mind in gear for the holiday season, I'm posting a recipe that is just the most delicious thing you will ever taste.  I consider it a fall recipe, because there's pumpkin in it!  And don't be fooled by where it came from- The Sesame Street Kids "B is for Baking" Cookbook!  :)  It is so yummy and not all that bad for you!  I was forced to get this book to appease my daughter while we were shopping and then lo ahold the recipes were actually really awesome!  Why you don't you get a cute apron for your kids while you're at it, and you can bake together (www.thelemonadecakeboutique.com) !  My daughter Reese and I love to bake.  My job- baking.  Her job- eating.  :) Hope you enjoy! *Ally

Pumpkin Bars with Butterscotch Chips Makes 24 squares Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1¼ cups granulated or brown sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup chocolate chips 1½ cups butterscotch chips ½ cup chopped, toasted nuts (optional) Directions: Heat oven to 350º. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until well combined. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the  chocolate and 1 cup of the butterscotch chips (and nuts, if using). Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, then sprinkle the remaining butterscotch chips over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting. Use the foil/parchment handles to lift the dessert from the baking dish. Cut into 24 squares. Store in an airtight container www.thelemonadecakeboutique.com   ... Embroider an Appetizing Apron for your helper! Only $15

I love a good homemade Halloween costume!

Yesterday i finally gave in and decided to go looking for Halloween costumes for my little babies - Reese (who's 2 1/2) and Roman (newborn).  I was going to be lame and use a "costume" for Reese that she already had in her closet and liked to wear on a normal day, her Princess Belle costume.  But then I decided okay we are going to Disney on Ice in November so she can wear that then.  I will try to find her a costume, or make one.

After speaking to several Texas ladies where the conversation turns to Halloween costumes, I am appalled and amazed really at the effort parents put into their kids costumes around here!!  One friend told me her husband has been working on their son's costume for about a month now.  Her son can't be more than about 5 years old and him and his dad decided he would be Iron Man.  This wouldn't be an ordinary red and gold spandex one- piece from the costume store.  Oh no... he was creating a true to form solid METAL costume that lit up and everything!  I wouldn't be surprised if it had jet packs on the back and the kid flew through the neighborhood to Trick-or-Treat!    Now I consider myself a pretty crafty person but I know I couldn't pull something like that off!

I decided to take a different approach.  My kids would be my childhood favorites- Big Bird and Elmo!  I found a one piece romper with a hoodie in red (for my newborn, Roman), and went to a craft store to piece together his Elmo costume.  I used that red ostrich feather boa material and I hot glued it on the rim of the hoodie, and also some on the front of the romper (There was an embroidered moose I had to cover up! ).  Then I glued those google eyes on the top, and I'm planning on painting his nose orange. :)  Then for Reese I found the bottom half of a Big Bird outfit from an actual costume store in her closet (never worn) and I decided to make a headband for it.  I got tons of yellow feathers and glued them to a crown shaped visor.  Then I also put the google eyes on it!   Voile!  A homemade costume!  Homemade costumes are the best. :) ... these 2 pictured are my favorites I saw online!! GOOD JOB PARENTS!

my latest obsession

Okay - so how many of us have time to go to the store, print out all your pictures from a memory card, and then get a photo album, label the pictures and put them all in there?  Not me!  And it doesn't look cute either.  I'm all about keeping memories, and I'm a HUGE photo-taker so I am just obsessed with making these photo books I have featured.  Most people know of Shutterfly, but there are many many different photo websites where you can upload your pics from your computer, and create photo books with different embellishments and backgrounds.   It makes a wonderful keepsake, and the best coffee table books.  My son Roman is just 3 weeks old and I'm in the process of making a photo book of his newborn photos.  There are all different themes:  Wedding albums, Baby, Vacation, School, etc. etc.  They even have an option to place the photos in the book automatically for you.  And it's all affordable!  But really these books are priceless... check it out for yourself!  www.shutterfly.com

Back to School already!!

WEBSITE is back up and ready for orders everyone!! Thank you for being so patient.  I recently moved and had a realllllly fun time moving all of my inventory and whatnot into the new place. :)  But it's all set up and ready for you. 

And guess what... It's that time of year again!  BACK TO SCHOOL time! Yikes!  I for one, am so excited/nervous to send my 2 year old daughter to her first little preschool (a fancy name for a nice day care with a good curriculum).  It's only 3 days a week but I am still thrilled to see what she learns and how she does socially with the other kids.  And not to mention a little break time for mommy to take care of her baby brother!  Thankfully I know her personality is far different from mine as a child, because she cries when we LEAVE the facility rather than when we enter! :) She's a little more of a social butterfly than I ever was apparently.  Whether your little one is starting school for the first time, or maybe entering their last year of college (AH!)... OR if you are a student/ teacher approaching your upcoming school year I'd like to leave this prayer for you! I hope the year is blessed with many new opportunities, knowledge, and love.  God bless!  *Ally

Heavenly Father, your knowledge is infinite and You have given human beings
a wonderful capacity to learn on every level: practical, social, cultural,
intellectual, and so on. Bless all institutions of learning and all teachers
as well as students. Grant to them all as well as to me a dedication to true
knowledge, a true love of learning, and a capacity to continue to learn
through life, until they arrive at the knowledge of You, and your Son,
Jesus, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Need a break from the kids??

I have been driving by this place by our local grocery store for quite some time and finally decided to stop in and see what it was all about.  From the outside it looked like just a fun play place for kids, maybe a day care of some kind.  It turned out to be the most amazing, GENIUS idea I wish I had thought of myself!  HOURLY CHILD CARE.  Hourly child care!  Such a simple idea, but I've never ever seen or heard of one before.  It's really easy too.  There's a one-time registration fee and then an hourly wage (which turned out to be way cheaper than 99% of babysitters).  They serve lunch there, change diapers, the whole nine yards.  It was the perfect solution for me:  a mom who doesn't have a nanny or even a steady babysitter (other than my parents) and most of the time just needs someone to watch my daughter last minute for only a few hours.  And normally on week days when most people are unavailable.  This place is PERFECT for me.  Now the only test was seeing if my 2 year old daughter approved.  She LOVED IT!  I only left her there for 3 hours while I had an appointment, and when I came to pick her up she was in a group of about 5 little girls all dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies."  Hilarious.  She literally cried because she didn't want to leave.  If you can find one of these in your area - you must give it a try!  If you're in the Katy area I went to Itty Bitty City off of Westheimer Road.  Get that much needed break without all the hassle of scheduling a sitter!  Thanks Itty Bitty City!  Have a blessed day! *Ally

The Littlest Birds Sing The Prettiest Songs..

My husband and I are expecting our 2nd child in Sept so my 2 year old daughter, Reese gets the exciting opportunity of a new room down the hall!  I'm still working on the colors but want to incorporate some shabby chic bird ideas I found online.  I just had to share!  This first pic is a lighting fixture in actress Kerry Washington's house.  Best part of all- the lamp was only $9.99 (IKEA) and the designer just removed the paper outside to expose just wires and attached chicken coop wire (Home depot, etc) and small birds (Hobby Lobby).  Very easy and adorable!  I am so excited to make this for Reese's room over her bed! I also saw this precious wall someone did in their nursery.  Sewing this fabric birds out of your own fabric makes it unique and colorful.  Then all you need is a big branch from outside!  I literally found one in my mom's yard that was perfect! :) Anyone else have cute bird or color ideas let me know! We ended up using some birds for an impromptu photo shoot later! Perfect prop.  Maybe I'll frame this to go in her room too?! God bless you today!

EASTER TREAT/STORY to share!*

So when I researched some fun Easter treats online I was bombarded with cute ideas!  So many I would never have even thought to create.  Easter is one of my favorite holidays just because of what it represents. Although the Easter Bunny and making Easter baskets is fun, it is truly an amazing holiday to commemorate how Christ died and rose again.  I just absolutely love these little treats I found that share that story of Jesus in the tomb.  You can create this - and for people like me who don't cook- it is NO-BAKE and super easy!  Share the story of Jesus' resurrection with your kids and make these adorable Empty Tomb Treats:).

Empty Tomb Treat Ingredients:
-Graham Crackers
-Peanut Butter (or icing if you have an allergy)
-Mini Oreo Cookies
-Shredded Coconut
-Green God Coloring

Copy/paste this into your toolbar to follow the easy instructions from this website:
http://catholicicing.com/2011/04/meaningful-easter-activity-for-kids-empty-tomb-snack/

Now that I have a daughter and some young cousins that come over for Easter, I like to pull out an old tradition my parents did with us on Easter.  We pulled out the "Resurrection Eggs"!  Twelve colorful eggs, meaningful objects inside, and a devotional booklet to bring the story of the death and resurrection of Christ to life!  It's a great way to tell children "Jesus is alive!" Kids just love opening up the little eggs to hear what happens next!  And if you don't want to buy this kit - you can even use your eggs or an old egg carton and fill the spots/verses in yourself!

Now THAT is a PRINCESS room!

It has been SO long since we last wrote.  So much has been going on!  I recently discovered pinterest - which is totally old news to most people I'm sure, but I got so addicted.  While I was looking on there I got so inspired by some of the nursery rooms I saw for girls!  Take a look at this princess room.  I mean- seriously?!! How does one make this bed?? At what cost?? haha .... It is absolutely gorgeous!  I posted a few princess room pics, but if anyone has any other really great room ideas please share!  Have a blessed day! XOXO