Hi! Thought I'd just pop-in and share the invites for Mini-mini-me's upcoming "Ice Cream Social" birthday party...
Aren't they adorable! I was thinking of making some myself, but when I saw these from Meri Meri, I couldn't resist! I just love the tiny "sprinkle" beads and buttons and the pretty mint-colored envelopes!
More party details in the weeks to come!
:-)
Jessica
With the girls going back to school this week, I am once again faced with the dreaded task of packing lunches every day. Both of my girls are good eaters, but they are also picky and, therefore, do not love the lunches that the school has to offer. And, since they have such a long day at school, I really want them to eat! So, I find myself making packed lunches...day after day after day. Not my favorite activity. Can you relate?
To make this rather mundane chore a bit more palatable, I have learned a few tricks along the way. So, today I thought I'd share a few tips with you:
1. Lunch Box: Yes, this is obvious, but shop around. There are so many cute options out here. My girls always pick out their own lunch boxes and I am happy to say that, after many, many years, we have finally graduated from the "princess" lunch box phase! This year we found some adorable, floral versions at Cath Kidston.
2. Storage Containers: You will need a bunch of little storage containers for sandwiches, snacks, etc... While I must admit that I do resort to using the occasional plastic bag, I do try to use storage containers whenever possible. HomeGoods, Pottery Barn Kids, Target and the Container Store are all good places to find cute storage options. I found these at PBK, Borders Bookstore, and Cath Kidston...
3. Ice Packs: These are obviously necessary for keeping lunch fresh if it won't be refrigerated. I look for ones with pretty, colorful designs. These are from Target - collected over the years.
4. The Details: My favorite part - adding in all the pretty, little details. Colorful napkins are a must. I buy these whenever I find them on sale. HomeGoods has an especially wonderful selection and the prices are always great.
Pretty straws make drinking your milk so much more fun!
And a handi-wipe can't hurt for those sticky fruit leathers and sweet treats!
5. A sweet note: I also always like to include a little note - just something as simple as "I love you" or "eat your veggies" lets the girls know that I am thinking about them...
6. A little Something Special: For special occasions such as birthdays or the first week of school, I like to include a special little treat - just a small trinket - like some stickers, a piece of candy, or a Squinkie (Mini-mini-me's fav at the moment)...
I know this may all sound like a lot of extra work, but it honestly only adds about one or two extra minutes to my lunch-packing process. I just stock up on pretty, fun things when I see them. You can even write out a bunch of notes all in one sitting. Packing a "pretty" lunch makes making lunch so much more enjoyable for me... and I know my kiddies really love all the special touches. :-)
Happy Back-to-school!
XOXO
Jessica
P.S. Yes, we did survive Irene. Thank you so much to everyone who so kindly wrote and expressed their concern for our safety. We were very lucky around here and managed to come out of the whole thing without any injuries to ourselves or damage to our home. Sadly, many others along the East Coast have not been as fortunate and my heart goes out to everyone whose lives have been forever changed...
Well, it's about 5:30 pm and we are waiting.
Waiting for Irene and waiting to see what she will do.
We are not that close to the coast, but we are supposed to get hit with a lot of rain and high winds later this evening. Like many others, we've spent the last few days preparing - getting groceries, batteries, and ice. We've got the cell phones charged, the snacks and board games at the ready. And now we are just waiting.
The girls are actually a bit excited about the whole thing. Me - I am a bit uneasy. I don't like the waiting, so I am trying to keep busy. Mini-mini-me and I picked these pretty Zinnias earlier in the week, so I thought I better run outside (too dark inside today) and photograph them before the rain began.
Hoping that you and your families stay safe and dry this weekend...
XOXO
Jessica
School starts up again next week, so we are enjoying these last days of summer vacation. Mini-me is off on a little trip with her grandparents, so Mini-mini-me is home with me and we are enjoying some special mommy-daughter time together. I found a recipe from King Arthur Flour for home-made Pop-tarts a while back and thought today seemed like the perfect day to try it out.
We followed the recipe pretty closely, but we just rolled out the dough and cut out a bunch of 3" x 5" rectangles. We also substituted three different fillings (raspberry jam, chocolate chips, and Nutella), as you can really use almost anything. These were Mini-mini's favorites - the chocolate chip version...
I prefer the raspberry jam...
Oh, and if you use jam, make sure to really seal your edges tightly or it might leak out during baking and make a big, gooey mess in your oven. We also chose to ice ours with a little pastel frosting (confectioner's sugar mixed with a little milk and food coloring).
....and some pretty sprinkles!
Mini-mini and I are very proud of how our "pop-tarts" turned out. They were really delicious and quite easy to make (you could even use store-bought pie dough in a pinch). I think they would make the perfect "back-to-school" treat, don't you?
XOXO
Jessica
If I were to advise a friend (or one of my own daughters someday) on what qualities to look for in a good husband, the list would undoubtedly include loyalty, honestly, kindness, a sense of humor, intelligence, and good looks (always a plus). But, if one finds a man who travels far away on business, is busy all day with a million exhausting meetings, is suffering from severe jet lag and is coming down with a cold, but still waits in line for an hour just to bring you home these...
...then I say, "Marry him!"
Lucky for me, I did.
:-)
Jessica
(Macaroons by laduree, Paris)
I've written about her many times before. My very own mini-me. She's super talented, very creative, and just happens to be my older daughter. I consider myself so lucky to have a child who loves doing and creating so many of the sames things that I do. But having a mini-me is not without it's downside. Case in point - a recent antiquing trip. Mini Me and I headed up to Frederick, MD, to shop at two of my favorite shops - Accessories of Old and Tiara Day. When we walked into Tiara Day, I immediately started chatting with the owner, Maria. Maria is just a lovely and talented person and we always have so much to gab about. So, I'm yapping away with her while Mini-Me goes off to check out the shop. A few minutes later she comes running over to us and says "Hey, look Mom - look what I found! Isn't it beautiful?". And boy, was it! A truly stunning hair comb covered in the prettiest vintage millinery flowers...
It was exactly the type of thing I would have picked out for myself. So there I am, the proud mother - just about to tell her once again how thrilled I am that she always finds the best stuff for me, when she says..."Yeah, I'm going to buy it." Say what??? Did I hear her correctly? "She" was going to buy it? Had Mini-Me suddenly become the shopping competition? Evidently she had, because she bought that millinery comb right then and there - and then proceeded to gloat about her fabulous find the entire ride home.
And how did she pay for it, you ask?
With the allowance that I had given her!
Oh, the irony...
;-)
Jessica
