Creative Playdates: Pajama Party

About a year ago, my friend Jenny from MOMS Club hosted a super fun event for our club at her house... a pajama party! Everyone (including the moms) came in their pjs (around 9am if I remember right), then Jenny had some cute breakfast foods ready for everyone. The moms drank hot chocolate/coffee while the kids played. It was a blast! And the kids seemed to enjoy showing off their PJs.

Here are a few more ideas that you can include in your pajama party playdate:

*A pajama parade

*Have each child bring a favorite bear or blanket

*Parent/Child pillowcase races

*Storytime on blankets

(There are a few different "Pajama Party" books available if you want to keep with the theme.)

*Have the kids put together fruit skewers

*Any type of craft!

Creative Playdates: Gettin' Crafty

Don't want to referee over a favorite toy during your playgroup? Keep those little hands busy with a kid-friendly craft. There are TONS of ideas out there - so do a little Internet searching to come up with something that will work for your group.

Craft #1: Paper Doll Friends

Here's a little craft that I did with our Joy School group. I used the outlines on About.com as a guide then traced my own pattern onto construction paper for the bodies, outfits, hats, and hair. Our lesson was on friendship, so they each picked a friend to use as the second doll holding their hand. The girls colored the shoes and hats, then picked which dresses and hair they wanted. They LOVED it! The site has plenty of outfits for little boys too.

Craft #2: Edible Play Dough

Who says you can't play with your food? Here's a homemade Play Dough recipe from allrecipes.com :

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 cups honey
4 cups dry milk powder

DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, cream together peanut butter and confectioners' sugar, then beat in honey and fold in milk powder. Divide into 15 equal portions and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Craft #3: Crayon Nibbles

Have broken crayons in your kids' art drawer and don't know what to do with them?

Here's a cute idea from craftydaisies.com:

What you’ll need:
*Crayons
*mini muffin pan (one that you don’t mind getting a little crayon on)
Preheat your oven to 265 degrees F. Peel off all the paper from the crayons and break them into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces. Arrange two to three like colors in each slot, then bake for 6-8 minutes. Let them congeal a little on the counter, then place them in the freezer until they are firm (approx. 30 minutes). They should then pop right out.
This is great for little hands that aren’t steady enough to hold thin crayons!

Coming Up... Creative Playdate Ideas!

Starting tomorrow, we'll start our series on creative playdates... so send me in your ideas! You can email your guest blog to momditties@yahoo.com. Please make sure to include at least one picture and directions, if needed. We already have some super cute ideas on the way! Oh, and don't forget to vote for our next topics (it is voting day afterall)... looks like a close one again!
~Malissa

Products Moms Love: All Things Crafty

Submitted By: Andrea S

1) Xyron sticker makers: awesome
for seamless
scrapbooking/
card making


2) Photo squares and corners
3) Sticky back felt and foam sheets

4) Paper stacks
by DCWV

5) Crop-a-Dile

paper punch and eyelet setter

6) Cricut cutter
and cartridges



7) Creative Memories straight
and wavy paper trimmers

I have so much stuff it's hard to narrow down, but these are things I grab at every time I have a crafty project going!

~Andrea

Products We Love And Hate: Beauty

I'm a bit fickle when it comes to makeup. I don't think it's really a matter of getting bored, I just always seem to have this urge to try something new. In fact, I just bought 3 new makeup cases last week to store my most recent supply. (Speaking of which, I included some info on when to throw stuff out in case you were wondering!) Anyway, I've included a couple of my fave products... some are newbies and the other standbys. Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you love. Afterall, I might have another urge to expand my collection.... :-)

1) Merle Norman "Luxiva" Ultra Powder Foundation - Though I'm a big fan of mineral foundation, this is the best I've found for pressed powder. It covers well and feels light on your skin, which is super important for me. I don't like to feel like I'm wearing makeup! This is a little more than I like to spend (around $28 if I remember right) but I usually splurge on it around birthday time. I use my Kabuki brush for a more sheer coverage, or you can use the sponge for maximum coverage. http://www.merlenorman.com/

2) e.l.f. (eyeslipsface.com) - Good makeup for $1?? Believe it people. I had this site recommended to me by a couple friends and of course, had to see what the fuss was about. My first order totalled about $45 - which buys you a whole lot of $1 makeup! I tried just about every lip gloss, some eyeshadow, eyeliner, brushes... the works. My faves were the Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15. Lots of colors to choose from. I wasn't crazy about the other hypershine gloss... had a weird taste to it. Their brushes are also great! I recently ordered their mineral makeup ($5 per container... 50% off right now)... still not quite as wonderful as the super spendy stuff, but still great coverage. And seriously, can you beat it for 1/5 of the price? I also got some super cute makeup cases for 75% off. Sweeet! (Sign up for their email list... I get coupons all the time!) http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

3) Bath and Body Works Holiday Beauty Queen Wave™ Moisturizing Gel Gloves - Okay, so this is actually the new kind, which I haven't tried yet - but last year's were fabulous! My skin gets ultra-dry during the winter months (not helped by my OCD handwashing mind you) and these little ditties made a huge difference. The kind I got were one time use, with two pairs per package, so I love that these new ones are reusable. They are infused with natural oils and vitamin E and can be worn for 20 minutes or all night. Save your pennies for this one... $25 for a pair. http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/

P.S. Anyone know a comprable product for cheaper?

4. Biolage Shielding Mist - Tames frizz and makes hair shimmer. Is also supposed to preserve color - but I've always used it for a finishing touch after styling. Oh, and did I mention it smells soo good? I've tried to find cheaper alternatives, but they're just not quite the same. $12.99 for a 4.2oz bottle. http://www.biolage.com/

I'd love to hear which products you swear by! Any good suggestions for skin care? I still haven't found anything I love!

Yummmm

Okay, so apparently I was too busy raiding the Halloween Treat Bucket and baking cookies for Josh's birthday party with my family today (seriously, birthdays seem to last a week around here!) to realize that I was supposed to do a post on "all things edible" yesterday. Well, in truth, I have a serious love for food and would have had a very difficult time narrowing it down anyway. Sooo to make up for it, I'm going to pass on this uber-yummy chocolate brownie cookie recipe that so sweetly obliged my chocolate addiction. Oh, and it's super easy! It's from my usual source: kraftfoods.com. (And if you've never checked their site out before - they have the BEST recipes for dinner too!)

Mmm this may have to become a new staple cookie around here!

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups toasted chopped PLANTERS Pecans (I used walnuts!)

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Microwave chocolates and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix until well blended. Stir in pecans.
DROP rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.
BAKE 12 min. or until cookies feel set to the touch. Cool 1 min.; remove from baking sheet. to wire racks. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Products We Love And Hate: Baby/Kid Products #2

Submitted by: Angel M

My Top 4 Faves:

1. Kirkland Baby Wipes- They aren’t just for diaper changes. I keep a pack in the kitchen for cleaning hands and faces after meals, in the car for quick dusting while sitting in traffic and wiping up after ‘spill-proof’ sippee cups. You can’t beat the price for this Multi Purpose wipe.

2. Wipable changing pad- It’s so nice to have one in your diaper to ensure a clean surface to change your baby. You never know what was on that changing table last.

3. Bare Naked Boppy Pillow- I loved

the versatility of this pillow. I wish I had one for my first baby. It was great for breast feeding, helping a little one with tummy time, and a nice support for a little one learning to sit up on her own.

4. Car seat protector- These are a must have to protect your seats. The helps prevent the marking left from carseats and catch all the undescribable things that fall under them. They also keep the carseats in place and have easy access pockets for storing toys in the car.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR POST ANGEL!