Category: Toddler

Mommy, OOTD, Outfits, Toddler

Mommy Monday: Toddler Girl OOTD

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on Mommy Monday: Toddler Girl OOTD

Happy Monday!!
For today’s mommy post, I put together an outfit of the day (OOTD) with my little model, Madeline. I love that this is a simple mix of neutrals and perfect for this crazy Texas weather we are having. It’s affordable and comfortable, which is always a plus for this crazy two year old stage. 🙂

Check out the links below to the exact pieces or very similar ones. 
Thanks for stopping by!!

Boots: Old Navy
Pants: Target,
Sweater: Target
Vest: Baby Gap (old)
another option
Bow: Hobby Lobby
Hair, products, Toddler

Mommy Monday: 6 Easy Toddler Girl Hairstyles

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on Mommy Monday: 6 Easy Toddler Girl Hairstyles

One of my favorite things about having a daughter is getting to doll her up, but sometimes knowing what to do with her hair can be a challenge. Her hair is very fine, and straight, so putting it up helps keep it out of her face and keep it from getting dirty. I’ll admit I am not the greatest when it comes to doing hair, so when I am doing hers I stick to easy basic looks. These are 6 hairstyles I wanted to share because they are easy, cute, and take up very little time. If I can do them, so can you! To get these looks I used a detangler, a tiny bit of baby lotion, a brush, a comb, and clear hair ties. (I use the tiny bit of baby lotion to tame any fly a ways or baby hairs in the front )

Hope this was helpful, let me know which one is your favorite. 🙂

1. Top Knot

2. Classic Braid

3. Fun Pig tails

4. High Pony Tail with a Braid

5. Half up with a Twist

6. Pig Tails

Thanks for stopping by!!


Caitlin
Indoor Activities, Snow Fun, Toddler

Mommy Monday: How to Make Play Snow

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on Mommy Monday: How to Make Play Snow

Who says you can’t have fun staying indoors 😉
Being a stay at home mom, I am always on the look out for fun activities to keep my little one entertained. Now that we are in January and the weather is very unpredictable, it’s nice to have some indoor activities that are easy to put together. This one was so much fun and kept her busy for quite a while. Which will give you time for all the other mommy things that you need to get done.
To make this fun project, all you need is 1/2 cup of shampoo and 2 cups of baking soda. I used a small storage container from the dollar store to hold all the mess. Just mix your ingredients in the tub and that it!! You have snow, well play snow that is. Not only was she having fun, but it’s a great activity that helps strengthen those fine motor skills 🙂 So if your looking for something fun to keep your kiddos entertained when the weather is bad, this is perfect.
 
 
 
Happy Mommying!!

Caitlin
Christmas, DIY, Gift Ideas, Toddler

DIY Christmas Ornament

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on DIY Christmas Ornament

 What you need:
1 Christmas picture that you want  (wallet size)
Styrofoam
Glitter
Clear Plastic ornament
Small ribbon
2′ Wide ribbon 7 inches long
Instructions:
1.Cut your picture small enough to fit inside the ornament. Wallet size works best, even it you want your picture to fit inside the ornament horizontally
2.Crumble up the Styrofoam as small as you can, in a bowl and then add glitter. You only need a little.
3.Then place your mixture of Styrofoam and glitter into your ornament. Add your picture in the ornament the way you would like it to look. 
4.Close your ornament and then add your thicker ribbon to the top and tie in a bow. Then tie your smaller ribbon through the loop so it makes an “o” shape to hang on the tree. 
Then you are finished!!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Caitlin
Birthday Cake, Food, Mommy, Recipes, Toddler, yum

Princess Cupcake Cake

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on Princess Cupcake Cake

It’s never easy throwing a party together but I will say it is quite fun in the end and well worth it. Our little Maddie turned two today and had a great time at her party this weekend with family and firends. I wanted to share her cupcake cake that was an absolute hit. It was super yummy, easy to make, and very cute. It fit the theme of her gold and pink princess party.

What I used:
2 Rich & Creamy Cream Cheese Icing tubs (Betty Crocker)
Red gel food coloring
Super Moist French Vanilla cake mix (Betty Crocker)
White Cake Pearls (I got these at Hobby Lobby)
Recipe makes 48 cupcakes but I made my cupcakes a little fuller so I ended up making about 40 (so I had a couple extra)
Icing: 
1 tub add 2 drops of red 
1 tub add 3 drops of red
(Then use the cupcakes that are a little darker pink at the bottom to create a little ombre effect for the dress)
Instructions:
1.Following the cake recipes exactly. 
2. Let your cupcakes cool and then add your icing. I put mine in a Ziploc bag with the edge cut off to make it easier to apply the icing.
3.Then sprinkle little white cake pearls on all the cupcakes.
4. Arrange your cupcakes like a dress and then add your tiara and jewels 
( I got these at Hobby Lobby as well)
I also wanted to give a shout out to the Etsy store that I used for Maddie’s invites. They turned out super cute and I got them within 24 hours. I highly recommend them and I know I’ll use them again. 🙂
!!Happy Monday!! 
Caitlin
costumes, DIY, Toddler

Toddler Pumpkin Costume

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on Toddler Pumpkin Costume

Halloween is just around the corner and I am so excited I finally finished my daughters costume just in time. Last year I had so much fun making her costume I knew I wanted to do it again. After scrolling through Pinterest for some inspiration I found a couple of pumpkin costume ideas that I wanted to try and recreate. I put together this costume in about two hours and I have to say, it was two hours well spent. It turned out so cute and I found out sewing paired with a glass of wine is a very relaxing combo. It might just be my new form of therapy 😉  It was so fun to create something one of a kind and that Maddie was excited to wear. If your looking for a fun homemade costume idea for your toddler this one is perfect. I am no seamstress by any means, so if I can do this so can you.

 What you’ll need:
1 yard of orange knit fabric (depending on the size of your toddler)
Sparkly Green ribbon (for the straps)
3 yards of orange tulle
1 8×10 black piece of felt
2 leaf arrangements
Sewing machine
Thread (any color.. I used white)
Scissors
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Fabric measuring tape
Everything I used was from Hobby Lobby (minus the sewing machine)

 1. Measure out fabric
 This was my first time putting together an entire garment, so it was definitely trial and error. First step I measured out how long I wanted the dress using the fabric measuring tape and the distance around my daughters chest. Then cut off any excess fabric I didn’t need.
2. Sew on Straps
Don’t worry what your stitching looks like, it will be covered in the end. I cut two pieces of the green sparkly ribbon for the straps and made sure they were the right length and in the correct places in the front. Then sewed the straps on the inside of the dress.

3.Tulle Tulle Tulle, and more Tulle
This was definitely the hardest part of making this costume. After a while I did start to get the hang of it. I made two rows of tulle. I used the same length measurement of the dress and cut out many pieces of tulle that same length.

Then I began the top layer.
Top layer: 3 pieces of tulle laying on top of each other vertically, then sewing them across the top of the dress
Bottom: 4 pieces of tulle underneath the same way to give it more fullness.

Sew both layers all the way across your orange fabric. Now sew the dress in the back so its completely closed. This is time I let my daughter try it on so I could make sure the fit was right. Then to finish sew in the straps to the back.

4.  Add leaves

I started at the front and hot glued each leaf all the way around.
5. Jack o Lantern Face
Now time to make the jack o lantern face. Cut out 2 large triangles and 1 small one and the shape you want for the mouth. Before I glued I straightened out all the tool while it was hanging up. Then I placed the pieces for the face were I wanted them to go.  Then hot glue each piece in place. Trim the length of tool at the ends if you need too.
The dress is done!!
 Head Piece:

 What you need:

Hot Glue Gun
Hair Clip 
2×4 piece of fabric
Left over leaves

Glue the fabric to the clip. Arrange your leaves they way you want. Then glue them in place

Now your little one is ready for trick or treating!!
A photo shoot is not complete without an outtake or two 🙂

  Don’t forget to follow me and leave a comment and let me know what your little one is going to be for Halloween.

Thanks for stopping by!

Caitlin
Food, Lunch, Toddler

6 Lunch Ideas for Toddlers

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on 6 Lunch Ideas for Toddlers

For today’s post I put together 6 lunch ideas for your toddler that are easy and healthy. I know sometimes us mommy’s can fall into a rut feeding our kids the same old thing, so I wanted to share some of the lunch ideas I like to make my daughter, while still incorporating fruits and veggies. Just remember, even if they don’t eat them, always present them the option.These are easy to make and perfect to pack for lunch ideas. Let me know which one is your favorite and what your toddler likes to eat.

1. Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I found this recipe off of  Pinterest and Maddie loves them. Here is the recipe. I made these pretty basic with plain breadcrumbs but you can really church these up adding in all different spices making them more flavorful. For fruits and veggie I added apples and peas & carrots.

2. Broccoli Mac & Cheese

I have made this recipe for a while. It’s super simple,  just cooked noodles of your choice with steamed broccoli and I added in some whole milk and shredded cheddar cheese. It’s easy and it’s gets you kiddo to eat more veggies. After all everything is better in cheddar!! Then I added sausage for some protein and a strawberry and blueberry fruit salad.

3. PB & J Sandwich

You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and jelly. I think it’s every kids favorite. It’s defiantly Maddie’s favorite and of course she has it with no crusts. To add some fruit and veggies I added banana and some cucumber and cherry tomatoes. She doesn’t always eat the cucumber but I still give it to her to try.

4. Pasta in Spaghetti Sauce

I love making this for my daughter and myself. It’s one of those ready made pastas you can buy in the store and all you do is boil , strain and add any sauce you’d like. I added that same peas and carrots medley with cut up red seedless grapes.

5. Turkey & Cheese

Good old turkey and cheese with a twist. Making these into little cu-bobs makes it a little more fun and makes your little one more inclined to eat it. I added pretzels and mandarin oranges for her fruit and veggie sides.

6. Veggie Noodles

Last but not least is a veggie noodle lunch. These are great by themselves or with some butter of cheese. I added to that the same fruit salad and cucumber & cherry tomatoes as before. Then I added a 1/2 of a hard boiled egg for some protein. 

I hope this was helpful to any mommy’s out there.
Caitlin
DIY, playdough, Toddler

Homemade Playdough Recipe

by CaitlinLeave a Comment on Homemade Playdough Recipe

I love scanning through Pinterest and finding fun activities that I can do with my little one, that involves easy clean up and hours of entertainment. This homemade play dough recipe is super easy and really works. I love this idea for a fun activity for kids birthday parties or just for a rainy day activity. It’s a great way for kids to build those fine motor skills all while having fun, and who doesn’t love to play with play dough. 🙂 Another great thing about making play-dough  from scratch, is that you know what is in it, and its safe just in case your little one decides to take a little taste test.

What you’ll need:
1 cup of flour
1cup of water
1/3 cup of salt
2 tsp of cream of tartar
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Food coloring

Add all your ingredients to a large sauce pan (minus the food coloring). Stir well on medium heat. You might have some lumps in your mixture as you stir but that’s okay, they will go away.  This recipe does call for 1/3 cup of salt.  It seems like a lot but it is essential. The salt helps it stay together without being sticky.
 

When it is still at a smooth consistency add your food coloring. Don’t be shy, add a lot to make it a richer color. I think I even added more after this picture. The first two batches I made, I added just a few drops and they ended up more like pastel shades, as you can see in the picture.

Keep stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat or until it starts to really clump together. Once it gets to the right consistency lay it out to dry. If you notice that the play dough seems to be a little on the sticky side, add a little salt to the outside and kneed it in.

This recipe makes one softball size amount of play dough. It comes out looking and feeling just like real deal, and you can make almost any color you want. To store, keep in a container just like you would store-bought play dough. I ended up using Ziploc baggies for mine, and it worked just as well.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Caitlin