Savvy Toddler Mom

I am very excited for Halloween tomorrow.  I can’t wait to take the toot treat-or-treating.  I’m hoping I can make it magical for him.  I read an article recently that referred to a book called The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy by Edward M. Hallowell.  It’s in my Amazon.com shopping cart right now (waiting for something else to join it before purchase to get the $25 purchase/free shipping deal).

To quote the Amazon.com review, “What children really need, according to the author, are unconditional love from someone (not necessarily a parent) and the opportunity to revel in the magic and play of childhood.” 

What better opportunity than Halloween!  I think the toot and I are going to hit the pavement tomorrow before it gets dark — meaning before SavvyDad gets home.  Just the two of us.  We are going to treat-or-treat all of our fun neighbors before meeting up with SavvyDad for dinner and then piling in the car to make the rounds to grandparents and other Salt Lake City-dwelling friends.  Can’t wait.  An evening of dress-up, candy, family and friends — perfect recipe for magic and fun.

On a side note, Amazon.com redesigned their site this week and I’m not sure I’m happy about it.  I was so used to the old one, that I’m having a hard time making friends with the new one.  Jury is still out.

Here he is, folks…  the toot in action in The Pirate Costume:

Gotta have the sword and the hook to complete the look.  His head scarf is a little skewampus, but it was hard enough to get him to wear it, much less let me mess with it some more.  I also need to get another photo of him that shows the front of the shirt — the collar bit is pretty cool.  (At least I think so.)

He was a hit at the in-laws’ Halloween party on Saturday.  Very, very funny.  He does a good “arrr, matey.”

On a side note, I was in a minor car accident on Thursday (my minivan vs. four 17-year-olds going 40+ in the Costco parking lot) and spent the weekend just being SORE all over.  Stupid teenagers.  The toot was in the car with me and was, understandably, VERY upset by the whole thing.  We are both fine, but I think the toot has lost something… not sure whether it is innocence or confidence or what… but something.  He keeps telling us he isn’t “scared anymore” and that the car isn’t “stuck” anymore (he thought it wouldn’t drive immediately afterwards).  But now that the idea — the possibility — that our car could hit another one is in his realm of knowledge, it can only be frightening for a little guy.  Another reason to be angry with the teenagers.

I’ve been kind of a slacker about posting lately.  I don’t have anything incredibly interesting to convey today – nor do I really have time — but I wanted to let you, my readers, know that I am still here and plan to write again soon.  It’s a post to tell you I will post in the future.  How about that?

I also owe you some photos of The Pirate Costume.  I still haven’t finished the sash - ack!  I have two seams left, that’s it.  Maybe I’ll go do that right now.

Until another day with more time and inspiration…

Last night, my final (for now) niece arrived!  Little Viv was born just after midnight on her brother’s birthday.  A great gift for a three-year-old, huh?  Baby sister!  Mom and baby are great and her two big brothers are really taken with her.

You are probably wondering if her quilt is finished… (well, you probably aren’t, but I’m feeling some guilt about it).  The answer is no, not yet.  We are going to visit next month, so I’m giving myself until then to get it done.  That way I can deliver it in person, right?

In light of this latest new arrival — and for the several friends of mine that are also expecting right now — here are my recommendations for your newborn’s changing table.

Must Haves for the Changing Table

• Diapers - 2 packages newborn diapers to start
• Wipes - Kirkland brand (Costco) is perfect (don’t bother with a wipe warmer, they’ll just get used to it!)
• Diaper rash cream - BEST is Aquaphor mixed with Creamy Desitin at a 1:1 ratio
• Baby lotion - I love the bedtime one by Johnson & Johnson
• Purell - in a hand pump is great
• Baby sunscreen - because this is where you’ll use it – not for newborns, though
• Finger nail clippers
• Hair brush
• Rubbing alcohol & Q-Tips for umbilical cord cleaning
• Vaseline packets (for umbilical cord and diaper rash on newborns – they will probably give you these at the hospital)
• Contour changing pad
• Contour changing pad covers - 3 recommended
• Diaper pail - I really like our Diaper Champ: no cartridges to buy and it’s still serving us well after 3 years

I might also mention that Costco doesn’t sell newborn diapers.  Get a couple of packages from the grocery store, Target, etc., and then pick up some 1-2 size diapers from Costco.  Also good to know: they don’t sell size “1″ or “2″ at Costco or other warehouse clubs.  It’s size “1-2″ and then you go to size 3.  No, it’s not a problem.

I also thought I’d mention that a changing table is really a good idea too.  I know a lot of people get by just fine without one, but I really like having a space in which the toot is contained (side bars, strap, etc.), at a reasonably convenient height, and where everything is already organized and ready to use.  I highly recommend it.

On a side note, I got the buttons for the toot’s pirate costume sewn on last night and I’m going to finish the sash today.  Then I will take some photos and post them!

We didn’t make it to Wheeler Farm last Saturday; the weather was too yucky.  We are hoping to go this Saturday, though.  I’ll let you know what I think of their Scarecrow Masquerade.

10am-3pm on Saturdays in October, kids can create a scarecrow at Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 E.).  You supply the clothes, the farm supplies the stuffing.  Bring pants, shirt, hat and a pillowcase.  Children also get to pick a pumpkin out of the farm’s patch and decorate it.  A wagon ride is included in the $6 per person admission fee.  There will also be crafts for kids and Indian corn decorations for adults.

I am definitely taking the toot!  He’s got a scarecrow fetish.  I was going to take him down to Thanksgiving Point for their Scarecrow Festival (Oct. 11, 12, 13 & 15, 10am-9pm) this weekend, but scheduling is not going to allow it.  Also, get this crazy pricing: Adults: $5, Children 6-18: $12, Children 1-5: $6, Babies 0-1 are free.

According to their web site, “The Scarecrow Festival is a fun event for the entire family. Small children can play over 30 games, ride in the peddle cars of Spider Speedway, visit the friendly Petting Zoo in Boo Country where there is a pony ride, Fish Ponds with fabulous prizes, test your skills on the Obstacle Courses, plenty of fun Bounce Houses, and tons of inflatable slides. The Junior Haunted House is not too scary, but plenty of fun. Have your face painted in your favorite spooky theme. Don’t forget to climb aboard our train ride.”

Huh.

So, I had the opportunity to try out the new LUVS Bear Hug Stretch.   I have mentioned on this blog my problem with the toot’s diapers leaking… and since he’s a size 6, I can’t just move him up a size.  (Note to those who don’t know: if you are experiencing a lot of leaking and you CAN move up a size, it’s time!)

The latest LUVS has a side tab stretch feature that is designed to provide additional leakage protection.  Did it work?  To be honest, not for me.  They still leaked.  However, they didn’t leak out the sides.  The toot always leaks out the top of his diapers.  So, if you are looking for a diaper to try for your little guy or gal and you see a lot of leaking out the sides vs. the top, this might be the diaper for you.  Especially if you have a gal… I think they would work much better on a girl than a boy.

On the up-side, LUVS are cheaper compared to Pampers and Huggies, at $7.97-$8.97 for a 40-count package. 

For the toot, though, I think I will stick to my old stand-by, Kirkland, and hope potty training is around the corner.

Needless to say, this last weekend was all about The Pirate Costume.  (I capitalize it, because it is a proper noun.  There is one and no other.)  Well, The Pirate Costume and conference — the bi-annual LDS General Conference.  I love conference.  Also, it is a great opportunity to multi-task with things like… sewing!

Thanks to conference, The Pirate Costume is finished, except for some buttons and the sash.  The top gave me some trouble when the interfacing caused the collar piece to shrink (grrrr…), but it worked out in the end.  VERY cute.  I’m still a little uncertain about my choice of red pleather for the pants.  However, I can’t think of a really good reason to make another pair.  These are all ready!

I also made a super-cute (not a very pirate-y adjective) head scarf out of black fabric with little skeletons on it.  The sash will be black and white striped satin.  We picked up an awesome pirate sword at Target last week, so I think we are set.

Looking back, will I sew next year’s Halloween costume?  Probably.  The Pirate Costume didn’t take that much time, and it wasn’t hard to find the time — especially with conference going on and three weeks until Halloween.  It cost about $25 (plus buttons, I still need to get those) and it really is super-cute.

I also found a new desire to sew things that aren’t quilts.  I don’t remember the last time I sewed something with arm holes. 

I want to thank my mom for my latest new-to-me sewing machine.  (THANKS, MOM!!!!)  She just passed on her top-of-the-line-twenty-five-years-ago Viking to me.  It’s my first electronic sewing machine!  My mom upgraded a year or so ago to Viking’s current top-of-the-line machine.  That thing has a computer touch-screen, does embroidery (REAL embroidery), has a million stitch designs, and will even do your laundry.  It also has a price tag you wouldn’t believe.

So, I am very grateful for my free upgrade.  I’m giving my last new-to-me sewing machine to my sister-in-law.  That one was my grandmother’s when I was growing up.  I received it from her just a couple of years ago.  The one I had before that was an old, old White sewing machine that weighed about 50 pounds.  It was my mom’s when she was a teenager.

Now that I think about it, the machine I just inherited was the one I sewed my finger with when I was seven years-old.  I still have a scar.  It was CRAZY… I just touched the foot pedal and before I knew what had happened, the needle had gone through my finger and back out again.  I had a thread going THROUGH my finger!

My mom was on the phone at the time, I remember.  She can’t hear in one ear, and since she had her good ear to the phone, she couldn’t hear me yelling and crying.  I couldn’t go to her, since the thread held me captive.  It was awful.  I finally got her attention; she hung up and came over to cut me free.

But I digress… so, I’ve got to get some buttons and finish the sash and then I’ll take some photos to share.

I’m not really one to share recipes, but I sampled this one earlier in the week and it is delicious!  Perfect for the fall/Halloween season, too.

So, with a thanks to my neighbor Deidre, here it is:

Bake 15-1 7 minutes at 375 degrees

Beat: 3 eggs, 5 minutes

Add: 
1 C sugar
2/3 C pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice

Fold in:
3/4 C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Optional:
Top with 3/4-1 C chopped walnuts or pecans (I recommend pecans!)

Line cookie sheet with wax paper, spray with Pam (just over the edge of pan, or paper will burn).

Pour mixture evenly onto greased wax paper.

Sprinkle with 3/4-1 C chopped walnuts or pecans.

Bake 15-17 minutes at 375 degrees.

Sprinkle powdered sugar and place a thin towel over the top. (Sugar helps it to not stick!)

Invert, peel paper off, and roll (in the towell) length-wise, until cooled.

Filling: (smooth)
Whip:
1 C powdered sugar
8 oz. softened cream cheese
4 Tbsp. softened butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Unroll and spread evenly onto cooled roll, re-roll (without towel) and refrigerate.  Place in plastic wrap and foil to help keep it fresh!

FREEZE - easier to slice and serve!

My Best-Friend-With-No-Name has finally claimed her rightful name, ChasingToddlerMom, and started a blog to share her thoughts as a fellow “stay-at-home-work-from-home mom.”

Check it out: http://chasingtoddlermom.wordpress.com.  Way to go, CTM! 

This is the sentence that sprung from the toot’s mouth yesterday morning as he and I went shopping at the local fabric store where my mom also happens to work (for the sewing machine dealership).  Not too surprising a grammatical or vocabulary feat for him, but I did laugh at his determination and single-mindedness towards our goal.

Yes, we’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pirate costume.  After reviewing the options online and discarding them as too expensive (he’s two, for crying out loud — I’m not spending $50!) and passing over the cheaply-made and not very cute selection at local stores, the toot and I found ourselves at the fabric store.

As we shopped, I became increasingly frustrated with how “late” in the game I was.  All of the patterns I liked were already sold out.  I was able to call around and find my favorite at another location — a 20-minute drive that the toot chose to use as nap time.  (I HATE that.  It was 10:30 in the morning, after all.  He didn’t nap again until 5:30 in the afternoon — just a quick cat nap to keep him from completely going down in flames.)

It was October 4th!  How could the patterns already be sold out?!?  I was able to procure fabric last night while SavvyDad was home — toddlers and fabric stores do NOT mix.  I got some really, really cute fabric and I’m very excited about the whole project.  Final cost will be around $25, I think.  Not too bad for starting from scratch.

Also, I’m excited that he will have a one-of-a-kind costume.  For his first Halloween, he was a frog, just like quite a few of our friends and neighbors that also shop at Old Navy.

How is your costume quest going?  I know my 2-year-old niece is going to be a pink bunny — completely her choice.  Can’t wait to see it.  My 2-year-old nephew is going to be a fireman.  My sister-in-law found a fabulous fireman costume at Toys R Us.