Mama Loves: Art

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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 Before I get started, a few fabulous ideas from the past week:

• Farmer's Markets are a great way to purchase healthy food for less. 
• Swimway Infant Floats are the perfect device to keep your baby safely floating in the pool.
• Flying with your babies? Check this out! A travel must-have for this mama!
• A great selection of books that toddlers are sure to love!

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We've been hearing the name, Claude Monet, around our house a lot lately. Thanks to the book, The Magical Garden of Claude Monet. 

 

Awhile back, I stumbled over a series of books by Laurence Anholt called the Anholt's Artists. He takes an artist, and writes a children's book about the artist, which always includes a child as one of the main characters. All the books have fantastic illustrations that are complete with the artist's noteworthy pieces.

I was hooked! I loved the idea of giving the girls an introduction to, and appreciation of art at an early age. 

The books are geared towards children that are a little bit older, but I decided to give them a try. The girls often surprise me, showing interest in books with a detailed plot, big words, and 25+ pages!

Turns, out, our girls love Claude Monet, and were fascinated with the Japanese bridge that is in so many of his famous works.



What excited me more was to have the opportunity to link the book, and Monet's art to something local, and tangible for the girls to experience firsthand.

We have beautiful gardens here, located at the local university. The girls and I went for a picnic lunch one morning at the gardens, and enjoyed walking across "Monet's Bridge", even if Mama's death grip on their hands did cause slight discomfort.

 
The girls were really excited to get to walk over the bridge. And, while we don't have lilies in the water at our bridge, we do have some turtles, which they are still talking about.

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Summertime Thanks

It's summertime! It's easy to be thankful when I see our girlies out in the sunshine, having a good time. (1329-1336)

• Watermelon!

• Pool + Slide = Way more fun!

• The girls have been doing all kinds of talking lately. Some of it really cracks me up! The other day when the girls were supposed to be napping, Hadley kept saying over and over again: 

Mama! Papa! You coming, okay? Then after a pause, Please?! Just in case that made a difference.

*Sigh*

• What I'm about to tell you will most certainly put me on the same level with some 10 year old school boys, but I just couldn't help giggling when Brynne told me, very seriously:

Hadley no touch balls, Mama!

 That's right, Baby Girl, you keep on telling her that, until her wedding day. 

• Brad and I taught Sunday School yesterday. A little boy bonked his head right before snack time. After a quick cry, he decided that snack time was more important, but he asked if I would wipe his tears before he started eating. Ha! So, yesterday afternoon, Hadley was very sad that we had to leave a friends' pool. Once she stopped crying, she looked at me and asked me to wipe her tears. Apparently she was listening carefully during Sunday School. 

• Speaking of our friends' pool, I was so proud of our girls! They did such a great job kicking their feet and putting their faces in the water. They were sad to leave the pool, and have jabbered about it all day today. They can't wait to go swimming in the "big pool" again.  

• The girls have started owning (and being very proud of) their nicknames. Hadley thumps her chest and enthusiastically says, Hadley-Roo! Then, Brynne chimes in, thumping her chest Brynnie-Boo. *Giggles ensue*

Mama Loves: Flashlights

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!


Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Be sure to check out these great Mama tested, Mama approved ideas!

• Bumbo seats aren't just for babies! Check out how this mama's babies use them!
• Make teeth brushing time fun for your toddlers!
• Give a child a cape and help him make a crown, and unlock a world of imagination!
• Shutterfly photo books are a great way to preserve memories, and you can make learning books with them too! Check out all these great ideas!

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At some point, I read some article, I can't remember when or where. I know, great story so far, right? Stick with me!

Okay, so, I read this article about how kids today don't have enough responsibility, and this cripples them, because they fail to grasp an understanding of duty, pride in their work, and care for their belongings. Further, they feel entitled to everything, because they've been given everything without earning anything.

We took this seriously! We wanted the girls to have responsibility, and not to be one of those spoiled, entitled children!

So---we stopped picking up their toys and books. Each night, whatever they got out, they put away. It is their job to return all their books and toys to their designated "homes" before bed. 

Now, just because we give them responsibility doesn't mean that responsibility can't be fun!

Enter the Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Flashlights!





Our girls take these flashlights every night, and look under the couches for stray toys and books. Anytime there's even a thought that there might something under the couches, out come the flashlights! The girls lay on their tummies and shine their lights into all the dark spaces making it their job to find any and all toys that might be lurking there. They love their flashlights!

I can't take credit for teaching them this----it was all my husband. There's a really cute video of Brynne in action over here.

Can't wait to see what you're loving!

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Mama Loves: Spray Bottles

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Hi mamas! Forgive me for being a bit a lot tardy with this! Husband wasn't around much last weekend, and this weekend he had to miss part of his Father's Day here with us, so we took full advantage of the time he was here to hang out and enjoy family time.

Before I move on, a quick, and perhaps slightly cheesy shout-out to my husband:

Thank you for tirelessly giving yourself to our family. For taking care of us. For protecting us. For providing for us. And for being a whole lotta fun. The girls are so blessed to have a hands-on papa, who works hard all day, then plays hard when he gets home, feeds them supper, and then helps with bath time. And I couldn't have a better partner to walk through this parenting gig with. You rock; I love you.

I was aiming for this sweet picture of the three of you this weekend, but this was as good as it got:

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Please take a moment to check out these loves!

• This fabulous granola recipe! Great opportunity for you little ones to help out in the kitchen!
• Every mama needs to feel stylish! Check out this awesome new purse Ginger got on sale!!

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 This summer has been heating up around here! I confess, that I get a little anxious when the girls cheeks get flushed on hot days.

The other day, I randomly filled up two water bottles. I did this, so that they could help me water the flowers without them getting completely soaked.

Turns out, they enjoy spraying themselves in the face. And, amazingly, they do it without even flinching. They absolutely love it!

What's been great about this is that since they've started doing this, they've been more comfortable putting their faces in the water when we swim in the pool, and they don't mind (as much) getting water in their faces/eyes during bath times.

Just look at those beautiful wet faces!!

Plus, I know they're cooling themselves off when they need to. And, it's only a fine mist, so they aren't getting drenched.

Spray bottles are cheap, and a great thing to add to your outside arsenal of toys--especially on hot days!

Can't wait to see what you're loving!

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The one where I overreact

So. My husband has recently taught our girls to say "Mama coffee, YUCK!" The "yuck" comes out in this incredibly guttural, almost alien-type voice---think Gollum in Lord of the Rings, or something. Whatever it's creepy. But. They think it's hilarious and Brad is pretty proud of himself for teaching them something so useful.

As the three of them utter their "yucks" though, I am silently praying for their souls, because I'm pretty sure that if God had had more space on that tablet he gave Moses, commandment #11 would have been Thou shalt not defile coffee. 

I think God even wrote this in the Bible somewhere:



Anyway, the other day I was sitting on the floor Indian-style criss-cross applesauce and Brynne was sitting in my lap.

So, you know that bulge of leg right above the inside of the knee that pops out when you're sitting with your legs folded?

As Brynne is sitting on my lap, she starts grabbing at that bulge on my leg, and saying her creepy-Gollum-sounding-coffee-defiling "Yucks"!

I sit there reeling. My inner dialogue is something like this:

How could she know to dislike this part of the body?

Where on earth did she hear this from? 

I tell her:

It's skin, and muscle, Love. Your mama has strong legs, so that I can run and play and pick you up!

As I say this I'm thinking of all her little friends, wondering which one informed her to dislike part of her body or at least my body. And I'm fuming.

At 28 months she already has body image issues, or at least issues with her mama's body!?!? I thought I'd at least have a couple more years before tackling that! How could this happen!?!?

Then I get all upset with myself.

Did I give some hint of disapproval with my own body? 

The "yucks"  and the grabbing at my leg continue, and I desperately calmly, reiterate the importance of having a strong, healthy body, and that, yes, even that bulge, is part of the way God made us.

Just when I was running out of things to say. Brynne hands me a speck of dirt that was apparently stuck to my skin, on that bulge.

Yuck, Mama! she says. 

 Whew! And I proceeded to refill my cup of coffee.

Horseradishes

Last weekend was the annual Horseradish Festival. Did you know that 70% of the world's horseradish comes from right here in the St. Louis metro east?

Yes, it's true. And, boy are they proud of it!

You can sample:

• Deep fried horseradish pickles
• Bourbon chicken with horseradish
• Pot roast horseradish sandwiches
• Mongolian BBQ with horseradish. 

Is your mouth watering? 
I bet you can't wait to come visit now, right?

It was one of those things that goes on in our area every year, and we've never experienced it, so we decided to take my sister and her husband, Brynne and Hadley's beloved Masi and Masa.

Here's a picture of them at the festival:

So, maybe this international fest wasn't all that exciting, but at least we can all cross that one off our bucket lists, or something.

The girls got to bounce in the bounce-house with their Masa while we were there, and they did really love that, so it wasn't a total bust.

There's lots of other things to mention over the past two weeks. I've been blessed. (1299-1328)

• The girls chasing Noodle back and forth, and asking to do it over and over again. 
• Amanda and Mital making extra pizza, so I'd have meals for the week while Brad was away.  
• Masi and Masa bringing a new book for the girls to read. 
• Someone else reading Blueberries for Sal. 
• Cheesecake
• Smooth sailing for the four days Papa was away on business. 
• Sarah watching Brynne for me, so I could take Hadley to the doctor. 
• Brynne doing really well away from her sister and mama. 
• Hadley patiently waiting for 45 minutes to see the doctor. 
• Laila watching the girls, so I could go to bootcamp. 
• The girls jabbering away about all their little friends. 
• Words, words, words. 
• Good napping. 
• Papa making spaghetti and meatballs. 
• Saucy faces.

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• The girls devouring quinoa and chicken.
• Brynne singing "Holy, holy, holy," to a song on Pandora. 
• Hadley washing my hands. 
• The girls still fitting in one swing. 
• Playdate at the park. 
• Someone picking up the diaper bag that I, carelessly, left at the playdate. 
• A God that has it all together for me since, clearly, I do not. 
• Grace for myself and from others.
• Generous friends.
• Brad going to the men's retreat.
• Ears on our corn. 
• Slide to play on outside. 
• The girls answering catechism questions. 
• Saying Ephesians 6:1-2 with the girls MANY times throughout the day. 

 

Mama Loves: KEEN

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Couple great ideas to check out this week:

•  Scrapbooking retreats are a great way to hang with friends and preserve memories!
•  I think all toddlers must love to play in the water. Check out all this fabulous backyard water fun!

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Our rule for shoes for our girls is to get them one pair of well-made, supportive shoes at a time. That's it. So---they wear them to church, the park, and everywhere in between.

At the recommendation of a friend, and fellow twin mama, we decided to get the girls KEEN sandals for the summer. I have to tell you, this was a great recommendation---mamas do know best, after all. Hence the whole reason for this linky party!

This spring, Amazon was having a great sale on KEEN sandals, so we made our purchase. Two pairs of the Newport H2 Sandals.

 

 Here's what I love about them: 

• They dry really quickly. The girls love to help their mama water the flowers, which really means that they just love to play in the water, and their feet, inevitably get wet.
• They are sandals, but the protect their toes from getting banged up. 
• And, by far, the best feature is that they are machine washable! Yes, that's right! They get muddy, they get smelly; just throw them in the wash, and they air dry lickety-split (there's that word again!).

My friend also tells me that they hold up really well, so the resale value is pretty fantastic when you're all finished with them. So far, I'd have to say that she's right. I just ran our girls' shoes through the wash the other day, and they came out of the wash looking like I'd just taken them out of the shoebox for the first time.

Can't wait to see what you're loving!

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Mama Loves: Good Smells

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Check out these great ideas:

• Great tutorial on how to color pasta. You can use those for all kinds of great craft ideas! 
• Spill-proof snack cups that this mama loves. 

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Under my picture on the right side of the page, I say, "I believe that life is aromatic".

As a mama, there are lots of not-so-nice smells involved. You know the ones.

I live for the moments after bath when we slather the girls in Burt's Bees Baby Bee Lotion, and I can drink in that delicious smell.

The other aromatic moment I live for is after the girls go to bed when I light a candle and hunker down with a glass of wine. Anthropologie candles are my favorite. They smell so, so good!

I recently found a candle that smells identical to my beloved Anthropologie candle. It's cheaper. And. You can get it at Target!

It's called Island Moonlight. The brand is bella by illume. 

65 hours of fiery, aromatic deliciousness.

Can't wait to see what you're loving!

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