Ariel Party! Under the sea adventures!!

Any one who knows me knows that I love parties. Especially throwing my kids parties. I don't know if it's completely accurate to say I throw a party because it's more like an event.  Crafting has always been something that has been super therapeutic to me and I come from a generation of amazing creative women.

For starters, I have always done my daughters invitations by hand. I love the fact that one day she can look back at the book of invitations that I had made for her. From designing every detail to my late nights of gluing, cutting. An Ariel party was the request so an Ariel bash will be delivered!



The invitation:

Using the cutting machines that I own and the design software I have Baddabing baddaboom I  have lift off! Many hours of fine tuning the mermaid and trying not to go too over the top she is done and my daughter couldn't have been more thrilled!



Once the invitations were done, it was time to get started on the decorations.

We started with some characters, each made out of wood and hand painted! This was really fun and three of of my best friends and I spent our nights fine tuning the characters.

 I hired an amazing Ariel from a  company called www.wishuponaprincess.com  Lauren was beyond wonderful and the kids were mesmerized by her! From face painting to story time then singing and dancing she entertained all the little mermaids and mermen at the party! I couldn't give her a bigger recommendation!

Ariel and Audrey

Ariel's Grotto

 This was a great little mock up for her and she sat by the clam shell with the birthday girl as she read the story. It was so interactive with the kids we just couldn't believe how nicely they sat and how into the story they were with her! Really she was FANTASTIC!




 More pictures of the party!

Her cake! We made cake push pops which were fantastic because the kids were very excited about them as well as they didn't make a mess!

 

 

 

 

Food table and birthday sign

We used the pirate boat we had made from her previous party 

 

And last but not least the Treasure Cove!

I can't thank my friends and family for all of their hard work and dedication the party

Easter Crafting

If there is one thing I adore doing in my free time it's crafting... whether I am making a hair bow, a tutu for my tiny dancer or fun arts and crafts with the bug!

With Easter approaching quickly I have spent some time scouring the net on fun craft projects to do on those rainy days when we aren't our exploring.

Here are some pics of some of the fun spring crafts that we are up too. These aren't the ones that we have made because we are just getting started on ours. We just wanted to share! 

Tissue Paper Duck

All you need is : yellow tissue paper, medium-large googly eyes, orange pipe cleaner, scissors and a hot glue gun!

Finger Puppet Chick

Finger Puppet Chick 

All you need is :  Yellow felt, small googly eyes, orange felt for the beak, a needle, orange thread, hot glue gun and scissors!

I would even make a bunny rabbit as well, for that you would need white and pink felt

Milking Mommas

As a breast feeding mom, there were moments of confusion, disappointment and many questions on how and what to do. First off, my daughter came three weeks early and on a Friday right before I was to take a breastfeeding class that weekend. Not to mention the lactation nurse was gone for the weekend.  So there I was stranded... No clue or reality on what I was to be doing other than simply pop the baby on and let them eat. Ha! If only it were that simple to a newbie mom. Eventually and with the help of a few nurses I got the hang of it.  My next barrier was, am I producing enough? She still seems hungry! Oh by the way I gave birth to a 9lb 2oz baby... so you can only imagine what those chubby cheeks could chow down on! :)

Now, let's talk milk supply!  To some this comes very naturally, all utters set to go. To others it takes a lot of work to be in full production mode. Don't be discouraged! With the help of some amazing ladies at a mothers group  (although I no longer breast feed as she is a toddler now) I have compiled a very helpful list of tips and tricks.

 First and foremost, make sure that you are drinking enough WATER through out the entire day.

1. Fenugreek

2. Brewers Yeast ( If you don't like the taste of this, putting it into a smoothie can work miracles) I have
used this and have had many other moms swear by this that it ups the supply very quickly.

3. Oatmeal  Not the instant packet kind, but the good stuff that you cook over the stove. I know time is limited as a new mommy but that's what Hubby's and friends are for :)

4. Raspberry tea leaf

5. Wheat grass

Also pump as much as possible, if you can nurse on one side and pump on the other at the same time, this should help as well.

The more you stress about it, the harder it's going to be to have your body relax and be able to produce.

Don't be discouraged by the amount that you pump, know that a baby is tens times more effective than a pump is at getting the milk out.

Hope this helps!!

Selective Hearing 101

I believe my 3yr old daughter could win an Olympic medal if selective hearing was considered a sport....

A few words that I have found that usually work for my very active, precious and space cadet of toddler to get her attention:

1. Cookie... as in "I have a cookie coooommmeee tooo meeee!" ( Only in my head does this sound kind of like something out of starwars.) 

2. I have money... This one works particularly well if you are try to take a picture... :)

3. Squirrel!! ... Thanks to the movie UP this works like a charm


So yes, those are my most successful actions in getting the attention of an Olympian toddler.

Places we love to go in LA

 I figured it was about time that I compiled a list of all the things that I have taken my daughter to in LA that she has really enjoyed. I have done a lot of research into this before going to places, whether it was by scouring the net or recommeds from other mommies. All in all it's pretty amazing what you can find in this big busy city! 

In no particular order but in all awesomeness here is the list: 

Indoor play places: Bring socks for you and your little one! 

1. Sky High

Located in Woodland Hills off of De Soto and Oxnard this is a wall to wall trampoline heaven! For children of all ages and truly a fantastic place. There is a special area for just kids under 52"!  From just bouncing around on the trampoline to  jumping into a foam pit! ( Parents beware, it's very hard for us adults to wiggle out of the foam pit! Myself and many of my friends have spent several embarrassing minutes trying to make our way out of this!)

It's $11 an hr per person and you can bounce in shoes or bare feet. If you are a first time bouncer you will need to fill out waivers for you and any other bouncers.  There are lockers for 50cents a piece which is great so you can bring that diaper bag, purse or the toy that they refuse to leave in the car stowed away safely.  Plenty of vending machines but careful on this one as a water is $2 alone so I would recommend bringing a bottle from home! 

www.jumpskyhigh.com 

 2. Creative Leap

Located off of Tampa and Rinaldi in Northridge.  It's a little hidden next to Whole Foods and the Post Office. This place is amazing. It has a bouncer with a two small slides, a miniature rock wall, a giant climbing structure with swirly slides, ball pit, things to climb and duck under. There is also a pizza place in the plaza that serves all organic pizzas and will deliver into Creative leap. This one is great if you want to get up and climb or rest at the tables and watch your children have fun. 

$7/ hr for an all day pass is totally worth it! Bring socks, both you and the little one will need them!

 www.creativeleap.biz

3. The Coop 
Located in Studio City it is $9 per child and has a super big ball pit, a bounce house and a fun kitchen play area. There is also an art station and a cafe inside for snacks and coffee for the moms! 

http://www.thecoop-la.com/


From the ball pit of the Coop 

4. Moorpark Underwood Family Farms

 Located in Moorpark off of the 118hwy, nestled away is the farm of the big city! I absolutely love coming here with the kids! From visiting with the animals, pony rides and an small animal show! As well as a very large area to pick your own produce to take back home with you. You pay by the lb and you get to pick it! From rows and rows of veggies to yummy strawberries and other fruits! You can also hop on a tractor ride and they will take you around to see what's available! Truly a days adventure and great picture opportunities. Bring quarters with you to get food from the machines for the animals as well as it's $3 a person during the week and $5 on the weekends. Kids under 2 are free. Tennis shoes or boots they can run in are the best for them out here because there is a lot of land to run around on. You can also bring your own food for a picnic! http://www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com/moorpark.html

5. Skirball Museum
Located just off the 405 near the 101, this museum is fantastic! It has a great exhibit just for kids called Noah's Ark! Lots of stuff for them to see and explore here. Then outside there is an exhibit that shows how rainbows are made! It's gorgeous!! The Noah's Ark exhibit is great as it's made out of recycled materials from animals to puppets. It's fun to see what they have used to make them! Heads up though, they are closed on Mondays and open from Tues-Friday 12-5 and Saturday and Sunday from 10-5. $10 General; $7 Seniors 65+ and Full-Time Students; $5 Children 2-12
http://www.skirball.org/

Here is Shmoe in the mister under the rainbow!

6. Kidspace Children's Museum
Located in Pasadena! This is one of our favorite places to go in the summer. When it's hot out the inside is nice and cool and outside there is a large man made creek for the kids to play in! Lots of activities about bugs and animals, a safari ride or two as well as a giant stair case that goes up quite a few stories for them to climb. It's a little bit on the pricier side with being $10 per adult and $10 per child so with a family of 5 it was best for us to get the membership. Bring towels with you for the little ones because they will get wet in the creek and a change of clothes. There is a great cafe and lots of outdoor sitting! There are bikes and trikes for the races as well outside!