Guest Post on MoneySavingMom.com

Crystal, at MoneySavingMom.com has provided me with the opportunity to be a guest blogger and post how to make homemade baby wipes. 

MoneySavingMom.com is an amazing resource and tool for tips, couponing, frugality, and home management.  Check out my guest post, here.

Happy Thursday!!

Candice S.

Christmas Food

For some folks, Christmas is over and they are well into taking down their decorations and festive Christmas gear.  At our house, however, we are still jamming with the Christmas groove.

Here's something fun that I attempted to do for Harmony.. (to be good at, mind you.. which some thing's I just CAN'T do all or most of the time..)

She LOVED it!  Harmony hugged and kissed me.. thanking me for such an awesome lunch!  The extra five minutes I spent sprucing up her peanut butter and jelly sandwich into a winter tree scene.. was well worth it!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Candice S.

Glistening Pinecone Ornaments

We were using these pinecone's as fall decorations for our table centerpiece.  I was so excited when we hit December, as I planned on using these for our homemade ornaments.   

We used Mod Podge and silver glitter for a section of the pinecone to give it that snowy affect.  Harmony put on the Mod Podge and started sprinkling away!  After we finished up with the glitter and allowed the sparkly pinecones to dry, I hot glued on the ribbon ($1.00 at Walmart!).  

There is a total of six beautiful, glistening pinecone ornaments..they came out perfectly! I have another fun idea that I can't wait to try from Ms. Martha herself!  ;)  ..You'll just have to wait and see what it is. 

Happy Holiday's!!

Candice S.

Check out Rattles and Redhead's holiday section:

I've linked this project to:

Cinnamon Ornaments

I have seen wonderful recipes for making cinnamon ornaments that use applesauce, glue, and a boat load of cinnamon!  ...Lets just say.. after about 4 hours of kneading my heart out, I dumped the sticky gunk in the trash and called it a day.  

..Because I had a very eager and wanting little girl who needed to make ornaments for our tree, I decided the next best thing would be to make our salt dough recipe that we used for our fall leaves.  I added two extra ingredients to the mix: 2-4 tablespoons to applesauce and a ton of cinnamon.

Baby Brother doing his part, having fun with the plastic cookie cutters.

I added red food coloring to a portion of the dough that I sectioned off.  You flatten the dough, add a few drops of food coloring, and then quickly start folding in the dough.  Keep folding in the dough and kneading the dough until you see even color.  Add more color for more bold colored dough.

Place in oven at 150 and bake for about an hour or until desired dryness is reached.  Whalllaaaaa!  :)

Happy Holiday's!

Candice S.

Check out Rattles and Redhead's holiday section:

I've linked this project to:

Homemade Paint

Store bought paint for kids can become expensive, especially when you are using it as often as we are in this house!  When Harmony turned two years old I started looking for alternatives to store bought paint that was inexpensive, easy to clean off of furniture (and everything else), and was not harmful if consumed...

I found one!   :)

Ingredients: 

1 Tablespoon of Flour
1 Tablespoon of Water
1-2 Drops of Fooding Coloring

I take about a tablespoon of flour and equally parts of water, mix together.  After that I add or mix our colors.  I use food coloring to do this because it's safe.  I'll do this in different containers and then whatever we don't use up I just dump in the sink.  If you want thicker consistency add more flour.  I tend to try to get it where it is not too runny, but just right!

Love it!

Candice S.

Super Fun Lunch Idea's At Family Fun

These lunch idea's are priceless, creative, and are sooo much fun!  I think the snail is my favorite!  Enjoy the recipes at Family Fun... I know we are!  =)

Snack-o-lantern

Lady Bugs

Two-Toned Sandwich using Cookie Cutters

Sail Boat with Toothpick Sails

Carrot Patches

Snail Sandwich

Candice S.

The Intuitive Parent, Part 1

I was having a heart felt conversation with one of my family members this morning about the "do's and don't's" for infants.  I realized that as I was trying to force my opinion on her about something she felt wasn't appropriate for her child, I was one of those overprotective parents once too and still am.  I followed my pediatrician's advice religiously, I had the baby books, and I did a ton of research.  Needless to say, I feel extremely qualified as a parent and having four years of parental experience to prove it.  I am a parent that is full of knowledge, and sometimes that knowledge compels me to throw my opinion's out at other parents.  It also causes me to lapse in the guideline's of certain by products, because I know the type of parent that I am and I won't leave the sight of my baby who might be eating something (food) that could cause him to choke.  The point is, I'm right there and some parents might not be, hence the by-products need for age requirements.  The conversation was about teething biscuits.

Earth's Best Teething Biscuits.




Made out of Barley or Wheat, and 100% organic.  They are used for teething babies and for babies who have started solid foods.  My six month old little man loves them, but hasn't cut any teeth yet.  I, however, watch him religiously to make sure that as the biscuit dissolves he is only sucking and not clamping down so pieces do not get in his mouth.  He sits up on my lap while he chews on them.  This product can be a choking hazard for parents who give them to their children unattended, which should never be done.

I started giving Mark Jr. these biscuits because he loves food and hates teething rings, cold or warm.  What does he love even more?  .. Mommies milk.  That being said, I wanted to give him something that would keep him happy when his teeth are bothering him because I don't believe in giving my babies medicine for every ache and pain if there is another alternative for them.  He loves them.  I love them.  I watch him while he chews on them.  We are happy.  :)

More personal parenting tips for youngsters, by your's truly..

Mark Jr. will not get juice until he is a year old because he'll be getting enough servings of fruit from his baby food, eliminating the need for juice until his first birthday.  When he starts getting juice it will contain a 50/50 split of water and juice until he is three years old.  Doctor's orders.  I haven't decided about cow's milk yet only because of the recommendations for breastfeeding so we are going to work with our peditrician on what to do and when.  Breastfed babies are harder to wean and I am not sure of the weaning process.  I do, however, intend to breastfeed until he is a year old (if he doesn't try to bite them off HA!).  I was unable to do this with my daughter because of poor guidance, so this road in my parenting life is unexperienced.  :)

I tend not to flaunt the time well spent with my kids or condemn other parents who do things differently than I do.  I love sharing fresh idea's about parenting and finding new outlets to do things that aren't always the norm.  ...I do like to promote these new ways of parenting and fresh idea's to my pediatrician so they know that I do my research and I know what I'm talking about.  I'm an intuitive and well-informed parent who listens closely to doctor's and equally, to alternative methods.

I will definitely be posting more on my personal opinions on infant and pre-schooling parenting for sure.

What are your parenting tid-bits?
Where do you clash in performing parenting norms?

I would love to hear from you!

Candice S.
**The reviews on this specific product(s) are strictly that of a personal opinion and not submitted as a paid for review or advertisement for this product.  They are perceived out of personal want and use by Rattles and Redheads.**