LEPRECHAUN CRAFT

I found the inspiration for a paper plate leprechaun on Pinterest, but I wanted to do it a totally different way, and here he is! This was a two day project for Kinley and I and we used several different art techniques for his different components. 

BEST DIAPER CREAM EVER

Let me start this by saying, I worked in the infant room at a daycare for almost seven years before Baby Seahorse arrived, and I saw MANY a sore little booty. I have used just about every cream they make I think--Butt Paste (love this one for a very slightly sore booty), Triple Paste, Desitin, Balmex, plain Aquaphor, you name it. But there is one homemade remedy that cures even the WORST case of sore booty, and all you need is Aquaphor and Maalox (or the generic version of Maalox.) 

You'll need equal parts of both ingredients.

I just scraped the whole jar of Aquaphor into a giant Ziplock baggie and then filled up the Aquaphor container with Maalox and dumped that into the baggie, too. 

Just mush up the two together as much as you can--it will still be pretty separated. 

The easiest thing to do next is cut off a corner of the baggie and squeeze all of the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir it up with a whisk until it is white and creamy like any other diaper cream. It takes a little while so don't give up. (This is the method I used, but obviously you can just do it however you like. I've even heard that if you ask the pharmacists at CVS, they will mix it up for you.)

RIBBON BOX SENSORY PLAY

The ribbon sensory box details have a new home over on our new website in a list of our all-time fave
CREATIVE PLAY IDEAS FOR BABIES + TODDLERS

See you over there!
xo Cara

BISQUICK BANANA MUFFINS

Kinley drinks a smoothie every morning (the only way I can get her to drink her almond milk) so we always have bananas in the house. This week she wasn't feeling the bananas, so when we finally got up today and noticed that they were verging on black, I decided it was time to make some BANANA MUFFINS! Yum!

I found a recipe on the Taste of Home website and just added an extra teaspoon of vanilla. I use that trick in pretty much every recipe that calls for vanilla--doubling it makes everything extra yummy.

Here it is--it's printable, just click on the recipe :)

These things made our house smell AMAZING and they tasted just as great as they smelled--crunchy around the edges, super fluffy and moist on the inside.

Looks like they get a thumbs up from the Baby Seahorse and her daddy loved them, too. Let me know what you think!

NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY...

I, like most expectant moms I think, read tons of articles and books and blogs and talked to a million real life mommas everywhere I went while I was pregnant, and I was given the same piece of advice by all of them--NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY. Well, I followed that advice and the few times I did have to wake my sleeping baby, I felt extremely guilty.

Here's the problem: my baby is now a toddler and she likes to sleep til noon. Lucky woman, you say? Well I'm also a huge mushball when it comes to her so she is still sleeping in our bed. 

WHAT?! IN YOUR BED?! Yes, after a few weeks of doing great in her own crib, she started waking up every 30 minutes, followed by me rocking and singing to her for 45, back in crib for 30, and repeat all night long. So, yes, I gave up. The truth is I like the snuggles anyway. I know what everyone is thinking--"She's going to be sleeping in your bed forever!" & "That's so dangerous!" & "I bet your husband HATES that!"  Well, I had every intention of putting her in her crib after the first few weeks and never in a million years thought I would be a cosleeper, but she came out and that was it. I was mush and I couldn't let her out of my sight.  I am planning on starting the crib again tonight, we both sleep better with our own space and yes, my husband is not a huge fan of this arrangement, but regardless, I doubt she'll still be in our bed when she's 15 (at least, I hope not cause that would be creepy.) I'll let ya know how it goes tonight.

Back to the problem. It's noon. I have had to pee for 3 hours, but if I get up before Kinley, she rolls right for the edge and/or starts going bananas thinking she's abandoned and I am downstairs doing awesome things without her, like unloading the dishwasher or putting stuff in the garbage can. So, for right now at least, I'll just lay here and wait for her to wake up because, after all, you NEVER wake a sleeping baby.

**Update 3.21.2017--Kinley never slept in her crib. She stayed in our bed until her third birthday, when we bought her a brand-new full size memory foam big girl bed (lots of extra room for snuggling and reading books with momma 😉) and she has been sleeping in there ever since. No problems. No getting out to get me every night or freaking out and trying to climb in our bed. Smooth big girl bed sailing.

That just goes to show all of that expert research and well-meaning mom advice, just do what feels right to you. It'll all be okay! Snuggle those babies, or put them in their cribs. Just do you sister 😊💜