Very Hungry Caterpillar 1st Birthday Party

Today was S's 1st birthday party! We celebrated with a Very Hungry Caterpillar party! I have spent the last 9 months planning his party (yes, you read that correctly!) and was so excited for him and his special day! Since I started planning so early, I was able to locate so great deals and managed to not spend TOO much on his first party!


For the food, we started with a hot dog bar. I decided right off the bat that I didn't want to follow the food that is included in the book, because it isn,t a very well rounded meal. I wanted something that would be a full meal and not just random foods.
I cooked the hot dogs in a crock pot (awesome!) and they were yummy. For the sides, I included cheddar and pepper jack cheese, bacon bits, sauteed onions, coleslaw, saurkraut, and chili for toppings. I also included chili fixings in case someone didn't want hot dogs (crackers, cheese and diced onions).

The cute leaf trays are from Oriental Trading!

Next we had stuffed jalapenos and mushrooms (from the SIL!) pasta salad from my Mom, an olive cheese ball with butterfly crackers, Very Hungry Caterpillars (grapes) and cheesy caterpillars (cheese puffs.)

 I displayed the grape caterpillars on skewers stuck in a head of lettuce.

For dessert, S had his very own vegan carrot cake and everyone else enjoyed yellow cake cupcakes with buttercream frosting. The cupcakes were decorated with skittles to resemble little caterpillars.

Very Happy Cupcakes (get it?!)

For decorations, I stuck with a red, green and lime theme.  Tableware was red with green accents.

On each table was gummy bugs for the guests and VHC coloring sheets that I found online. The little paper buckets were from the dollar section at Target!!!! 

Above the gift table, I created our own caterpillar with paper lanterns ordered from Luna Bazaar online. I found their prices to be better than anywhere local to me and they shipped in 1 day!! That's the way to earn a girls business!

Above the cake/treat table was his birthday sign.

I used the Cricut machine to fashion the circles for his sign and cut the letters as well. It came out better than I could have hoped!

I always like to include a 12x12 page for people to sign to include in the boys scrapbooks so they can always remember who shared in their special days. (Plus it's a great way to watch the boys and their cousins grow as they learn new skills, ie. writing their own names!) This page was part of an Eric Carle scrapbook set ordered from amazon.com.

This party was the first party I threw that included children other than my own niece and nephew. There were 5 extra kiddos this time and I was excited to make gift bags, something I had never given before! The bags included bug nets and fake bugs, rubber duckies that looked like bugs, gummy bugs, bubbles, and Eric Carle crayons found once again in the Target dollar section!

I punched the thank you tags to look like they had been chewed a little. 

His high chair banner which also doubled as a prop for his cake smash photoshoot he had done last weekend.

12 months of S. I took a picture of him, every month on his birthday. He was always wearing a white shirt or onesie and sitting in the same chair with the same big stuffed elephant. I had purchased 12 month stickers from Etsy before he was even born that I could stick to the front of his shirt each month. This was a great way to track his growth and you'd be surprised how much they change from month to month!

It's hard to tell, but I made a shirt for big brother using ballons to print circles in the shape of the caterpillar. One print in red for his head, then I swirled blue and green together to get prints for the body that resembled Eric Carle's artwork.

This was such a fun and creatively inspiring theme...I've already got R's party theme picked out and am tossing a few ideas around for S's party next year. I'm sensing another book theme I think!

Raising a baby with food allergies, Part 2

Well, we FINALLY heard back from the doctor about S's allergy blood tests he had done on Monday. Unfortunately, he has a severe (mediated) allergy to eggs, and a mild milk allergy on top of the lactose intolerance. Due to the severity of his egg allergy, his pediatrician ordered him an epi pen. We were also instructed to remove all egg and dairy from his diet. He had already been placed on soy milk, but now we have to cut everything else out entirely. The last few days I have spent hours doing research online, searching mommy blogs and hospital websites for advice, brand recommendations, anything to help me wade through the mire of a huge upheaval in our diet/lifestyle. I also had to fill out an Allergy Action Plan for family, on the off chance they would ever have to feed him if my husband and I weren't there. It consists of emergency instructions, information on administering the epi pen and emergency contact information. Tomorrow, we are heading to the grocery store to do a little scoping of products in our local market. It turns out that our local Walmart carries soy milk but nothing else. No soy butters, no egg/dairy free pasta, nothing that my little guy can substitute in his diet.

I'm sure the next few weeks are going to be rough as we adjust to the new "norm." In the meantime, enjoy a picture of my little guy enjoying his first ever vegan birthday cake!

Raising a baby with food allergies

This week, S went in for his 1 year check up! Can you believe it?? Over the past year, we have discovered that he had several food allergies as he was introduced to new foods. He was put on an egg free diet after he tried eggs at 9 months old and broke out in a rash all over his face and neck. Since other allergies tend to go hand in hand with egg allergies, he was also put on a peanut and fish free diet.
When he was around 10 months old, I wanted to start introducing milk into his formula during meals so we could start weaning him off of formula by his first birthday. The first night I gave him milk (1 T. mixed into 4 oz. of formula) he had a horrible reaction and I felt like a terrible Momma! His poor little tummy was rock hard with gas and he cried nonstop for 5 hours. Yes, you read that right...5. hours. straight.
I followed recommendations that say if your child has a reaction, wait 2 weeks then try again. Two weeks later, he had the same reaction again. This time, however, he also broke out in a diaper rash that got so bad, it became raw and bloody. That rash took 4 days to clear up. At this point, I took him totally off of dairy products because I suspected other dairy might also be bothering him. We cut out cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. He was still on regular formula though.
I started tracking his reactions, what he ate and if he had any problems. He did continue to have loose stools (sorry if TMI!). So finally, his 12 month checkup came around and I presented his doctor with what I had discovered. She agreed and put him on soy milk. He was also sent for allergy testing where they tested him for over 30 foods. We are still unfortunately waiting to hear back about his bloodwork, but at least we will know conclusively if he is allergic to the peanuts and fish (which he has never had any of yet)
The last three days have been spent doing research, consulting with other Mommas who have children with allergies, reading blogs, finding new recipes, and writing up his allergy plan for family members (his pediatrician told me that 9 times out of 10, an allergen will be introduced to a child by a grandparent who doesn't believe the allergy is a "big deal")!!! Three days in, and my head is swimming. What if he does have a peanut allergy? What if he's not just lactose intolerant, he's got a milk allergy too? (they are two different things!) Have you ever read a food label? Milk and nuts and eggs are in EVERYTHING! So I spend a large part of the day worrying about my sweet little boy and how he'll react to new foods...it's stressful, and I'm sure I earned new gray hairs and new wrinkles!
Hopefully tomorrow we'll have the answers we need and I'll have a better idea of what he needs to have cut out of his diet. Until then, we'll continue the soy milk (which we've seen big results from already!) and keep reading labels!

Holiday mail for Heroes

As the Holiday season approaches, I want to start teaching my 3 year old about giving back. (he's unfortunately stuck in that selfish 'me me me' stage). As part of our Advent Activity Calendar this year, we will be sending cards to active duty soldiers. I wanted to share the information I found with you, because these brave men and women are away from their own families during this time and could use our support!

The address is:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO BOX 5456
Capital Heights, MD 20791-5456

**MUST BE POSTMARKED BY DECEMBER 7, 2012!!

There are a few rules that they ask you follow, otherwise the mail WILL NOT be delivered.
1. Generic salutations only, nothing familiar. (ex. Dear Service Member)
2. Only cards, no letters. (You have no controls over which soldier it goes to.)
3. NO EMAIL ADDRESS OR HOME POST MARKS. (This is not a way to become pen pals. If personal information is enclosed, it will be thrown away)
4. No inserts (photos)
5. NO GLITTER!  Many of the soldiers are recovering from wounds and glitter falling from cards will hinder healing.

Each letter will be examined before passed along to service members.

Happy Birthday Peanut!

Friday was my baby's first birthday!! It's been a long year, full of health scares, adjusting to food allergies and watching him blossom. He's my little snuggle bug and the most easy going little boy. He goes with the flow and isn't afraid of anything (including the sweeper and garbage disposer!) He loves stacking his blocks and playing with his big brother's cars. He loves waffles and climbing on stuff! He's my little daredevil! I'm so proud to be his Momma and he blessed our family with his loving heart.

Look how far we've come baby!

(Photo courtesy of Memories by Chontay)

Fill your freezer in 1 day! 9 crock pot meals for the freezer.

This week is looking to be a marathon week. My youngest celebrated his 1st birthday on Friday, and his party is coming up this Saturday! Doctors appointments, house cleaning and babysitting will fill the rest of my already busy week! So yesterday, I spent the day filling my freezer with quick and easy  meals that I can freeze and then toss in the crock pot. They require minimal ingredients and most of the items I had on hand already.



Crock pot BBQ Ribs:
-2 pounds country style ribs
-1 bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ) (Normally I would make my own BBQ sauce, but I was pressed for time with trick or treat and a photo shoot, so bottled won out this time!)

-Combine ingredients in gallon size Ziploc bag.
-Freeze flat.

TO COOK:
Thaw for 24 hours
Cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-7 hours
(side suggestions: mashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes, corn)


Taco Soup
-1 pound ground beer, browned
-1 chopped onion
-1 pkg taco seasoning (I use my homemade mix, so 2 T. that mix)
-1 bag frozen corn
-1 can black beans (drain and rinse)
-1 28 ounce can stewed tomatoes
-1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
-1 can diced chilies

-Cool meat
-Dump ingredients in gallon Ziploc bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
HIGH 1-2 hours, LOW 2-3 1/2 hours
(serve with tortilla chips, olives, cheese, sour cream)



Chicken Alfredo
-2 pounds chicken
-1 bag frozen broccoli
-2 16 ounce jars Alfredo sauce
-1 8 ounce package sliced mushrooms

-Place all ingredients in gallon bag

TO COOK:
-thaw 24 hours
LOW 4-6 hours
(serve with fettuccine noodles, salad, rolls)



French Dip Sandwiches
-2 pound chuck roast
-2 cans beef consomme

-Place in gallon bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
LOW 8-10 hours, HIGH 5-7 hours
(shred and serve on hoagie buns, top with provolone cheese)



Chicken Cacciatore
-1 pound chicken breasts
-1 26 ounce jar chunky veggie spaghetti sauce
-1 zucchini, chopped
-1 onion, chopped

-Mix in gallon bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
LOW 6-8 hours
(serve with spaghetti, garnish with olives and mozzarella cheese)



Sausage and Beans
-1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled
-1 onion chopped
-1 rib of celery finely chopped
-1 T. worcestershire sauce
-1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
-1/4 c. honey
-1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
-1 can butter beans
-1 can kidney beans

-Combine in gallon bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
-LOW 4 hours
(Serve over rice and top with shredded cheese and tortilla chips)



Maple Dijon Chicken
-2 pounds chicken
-1 c. Dijon mustard
-1/2 c. maple syrup
-2 T. red wine vinegar
-salt and pepper

-Combine in bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
-LOW 8 hours



Lime Chicken
-2 pounds chicken breasts
-2 limes
-1 bag frozen corn
-2 cloves garlic minced
-1/2 red onion chopped
-1 can black beans drained and rinsed
salt and pepper

-Combine in bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
-LOW 8 hours
(shred chicken and serve with tortillas, sour cream, salsa, cheese)




Beef Stew
-1 pound beef stew cubes
-4 carrots cut in 2 in. pieces
-4 red potatoes cut in cubes
-1 pkg. dry onion soup mix (again I used my own homemade mix=4 T.)
-2 cans cream of mushroom soup
-1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
-1 pkg frozen peas

-Combine in bag

TO COOK:
-Thaw 24 hours
-LOW 7-10 hours, HIGH 5-6 hours



I'm sure i could have accomplished all 9 of these recipes in under 2 hours, however nap times, lunch and prepping for trick or treat and a photo shoot got in the way of completing the whole thing in one sitting. I also was able to buy all the ingredients for around $120 total. The meat is what got costly, as some of the cuts i needed were not on sale. Each could easily be substituted with cheaper cuts of meat (ie: chicken thighs, etc. and would still be just as yummy!) These meals will EASILY serve our family of four and there will be plenty of leftovers each meal.

24 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar

In previous years, we've had Advent calendars that included small treats and toys. This year though, I wanted to focus more on experiences, rather than "stuff." With the commercialism of Christmas getting so out of hand, I felt this would be more meaningful (plus it gives me the opportunity to create lists and organize myself a little more!) My 3 year old also has gotten to the "buy me stuff" stage every time we venture to the store...we are breaking that ASAP!

While browsing through my Cricut cartridges one day, I discovered that the George Cartridge could cut envelopes. I used the cricut to cut out 24 small envelopes and stuffed each one with a meaningful experience. Since I babysit two other boys in my home several days a week, I also wanted activities that they could participate in with minimal cost to me.

I stenciled numbers 1-24 on each envelope with a gold paint marker.

Each card is just a index card that i cut with scalloped scrapbooking scissors and then used red and green markers to write each activity on.

Right now all the envelopes are in a small basket waiting for me to decide how I'm going to display them come December. R has a calendar that he uses to play school (an actual one from when I taught preschool). I'm thinking of hanging them on there so he can open one each morning when he puts up the new number.

Here's a list of the activities I included in the envelopes:

1. Decorate the tree

2. Open your new ornament for the year.

3. Write a letter to Santa

4. Burn a Christmas cd and listen to it

5. Make Christmas cards

6. Make a card to send to a soldier

7. Attend Christmas in Carey

8. Take pictures under the tree

9. Paint in the snow or Take a train ride (weather permitting)

10. Take a trip to the Dollar Store to purchase a gift for siblings

11. Take a bath by christmas lights

12. Dinner by candlelight

13. Christmas cookie decorating

14. Christmas Movie Night

15. Go to Harrison Park to see light display

16. Make ornaments for family members

17. Build a snowman

18. Go sledding

19. Bake and take a goodie for a neighbor

20. Make gingerbread and decorate

21. Polar Express Party

22. Christmas Movie Scavenger Hunt

23. Sleepover under the Tree

24. Open 1 present under the tree (pajamas), leave cookies and milk for Santa, put out reindeer food on the lawn.

Obviously a few of these will be weather permitting, but the only 2 activities set in stone are #7 and #15 so I can always switch things around if need be. I also made a master calendar so I can look ahead and prep anything that needs done ahead of time (ie, baking, etc.) On that same calendar, I am writing down the Elf on the Shelf activities that I will be doing each night.