The Bounty of Easter

This is some of the stuff my kids got from the Easter bunny: peeps, Pokemon cards, beyblades, DSI games, cadbury eggs, reese's peanut butter eggs, jelly beans, salt water taffy, ring pops, lolly pops, toothbrushes (that bunny is a clever one), quarters in eggs, and probably some other stuff. The coolest stuff came from their grandparents and they felt so special knowing that they had been thought of even though they are far away. They also had an egg hunt with all of the children of the complex and that was sweet.

This is what I got for Easter: a bunny flower pot, a chip shaped like a boot and a glass of wine. I shared my bounty with the Easter bunny.

Recipe~ Thai Lettuce Wraps

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 iceberg lettuce heads, cut into quarters and leaves gently removed to make the lettuce cups
• 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 handful basil, chopped

Preparation

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the pan until golden brown on all sides.

Add in the red pepper and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the chili sauce and honey and simmer to reduce it and coat the chicken.
To serve, lay the lettuce leaves on a platter, then scoop some of the chicken mixture onto each leaf.
Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts, lime juice and basil.

Good Night Formula

1. Dinner at the table as a family, if you can it is so worth the effort and burnt food
2. Homework (boo!)
3. Bath time, don't forget to brush teeth
4. Yoga or watch the Simpsons (many times both, because it is awesome to laugh and do downward dog and almost barf up your dinner.)
5. READ, in my opinion it is more important than bath time ( for at least 30 min a day, serious, don't be lame and skip it)
6. Lights out, cuddles, back scratches, "how was your day?", made up stories, a few songs...
7. That's all, what else am I supposed to do? Jeez.

Is There Any Mommy Out There?: Crowdsourcing parenting: Screen time

 I have followed this marvelous lady for a long time now (hers was the first blog I ever actually looked at). I really think she puts all of our collective mommy worries, hopes, dreams, fears and everything else into words. So if you are a mom, or just want to enjoy some really amazing writing, check her out.
Is There Any Mommy Out There?: Crowdsourcing parenting: Screen time: "A few weeks ago I tweeted: @anymommy The longer I have children the less I care about how much TV they watch. That is called *surviva..."

Nighttime Yoga Ritual with the Kiddos

My kids love spending a few minutes doing yoga with me at night. They enjoy learning poses that have cute animal names like baby scorpion and downward dog. The warrior poses are a big hit with the boys, which is no big surprise, and we always end up getting a good laugh out of happy baby. For me, the most fun is when we get creative and make up our own, like the banana, that Finn invented and is one of the funniest things you have ever seen. Also Rylan can do a wicked inversion. Isn't relaxing fun(ny)?

Message Door Hangers- Knock Knock

It is 8:30 in the morning, it is spring break, my kids are still asleep (one of the only perks of vacation is that they will sleep past 7 am) and there is a knock at the door. A neighbor kid looks up at me, "Can Rylan and Finn play?"My answer was "No, it is way to early." His reply was, "Well, can I play your wii?" Keep in mind that my blinds are shut tight, I am in my jammies, I HAVE NOT HAD COFFEE YET! My own children know not to ask me for a single thing before I have had my coffee. Needless to say, after the boys have spent hours and hours playing with their buddies, the day is done and it is time to come in and eat dinner, take a bath and spend time with the family. But even though my kids and I have been very clear that we won't be entertaining any more guests today, the knocking continues (no kidding every 20- 30 min). This is what Rylan came up with, God bless him.

Play dough Recipe: Make It At Home!

And here we go with spring break, can I have a few moments of quiet sanity with two little boys in my house? The answer is probably no, unless...play dough! I save the novelty of it for rainy days, vacations and when I have a hangover. So when I break it out, my little guys think it is a super special occasion, and that's a good thing that will keep them occupied for hours.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons oil
food coloring (I never use it, and the kids are still happy)

Make it!
In a saucepan combine water, a few drops of food coloring (optional) and oil. Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar, add to the saucepan. Cook over low heat until it sticks together. Leave to cool and knead. Store in zip lock bags for months at a time. 

Happy Cute Sunday

 

These baby  hedgehogs remind me of my favorite Costa Rican fruit, mamon chinos. But they are too cute to eat.

Stencil Shirts~ Seriously Fun and Easy

We all have that favorite shirt or tank that met its demise when spaghetti sauce or coffee dribbled down the front. Some times a Tide to go pen or a splash of bleach does the trick, and other time those stains force us to toss the garment into the back of the closet. This is so fun, easy and cheap that you will want to do it on everything you own, and not just to cover up the stains on things.

You will need:
an iron
freezer paper
an X-acto knife
fabric paint (I got mine at Joanne's for under $5)
small paint brushes
silhouette image of your choice

Now make it:
First trace the image you want onto a piece of freezer paper making sure to leave at least a 2 inch boarder around the edges then use your X-acto to cut it out. Set your iron on a high setting with the steam turned off (of course don't set it so high that it will burn your clothes). Turn the shirt inside out, get a sheet of freezer paper the right size, and iron it onto the shirt with the shiny side down.When you turn the shirt right side out, it should be on the opposite side, this is super important so that the paint won't bleed through. With the shirt turned right side out, place the freezer paper stencil where you want it and iron that on. Now you are ready to paint, and after that leave it to dry overnight (make sure to wait, it is worth not messing up the whole thing). The next day is here, and you can peel off the stencil paper and wear your new (old!) shirt. Now you can sit back and wait for the compliments to roll in.