October 2013 - Bare Feet on the Dashboard

Month: October 2013

30
Oct
2013

Painting Pumpkins with Toddlers

categories: crafts, play, toddler school, toddlers

Painting pumpkins is the perfect way to let your toddlers decorate the gourds of the season with out knives or messy pumpkin guts involved. It is simple and an be pretty mess free if you do it just right. The pumpkins turn out really pretty and don’t rot instantly like a carved one. Want to try it? Here’s how we do it…

Pumpkin Painting Instructions:

1) Go outside and set up a little station cleared of anything that might get ruined.

2) Put a blob of each color of washable paint on a piece of construction paper.

3) Show your child what to do, and then let them go for it. If they don’t like the sensation of paint on their hands, foam brushes work well.

4) You can use painter’s tape to tape off designs on larger pumpkins, or leave well enough alone and drink your coffee.

5) Leave your pumpkin out to dry for several hours. Throw away your paint paper, or save it for this project. Wash down your station with a wet rag and wash your child’s hands. You’re done! Don’t you feel festive?

The Bear is so proud of his masterpieces.

We actually did this on two different days and it kept him entertained for quite a while. Fine motor skill building is the best entertainment.

Have you decorated pumpkins with your wee ones? What techniques do you use?

29
Oct
2013

An Easy Fall Pumpkin Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

categories: crafts, play, toddler school, toddlers

Crafting with toddlers and preschoolers can be a bit of an adventure, but it is great for their fine motor development and can kill major chunks of time with no tv involved. This one is crazy easy, turns out really cute and festive, and will give you about 20 minutes of peaceful fine motor practice. Go for it. Everybody needs a festive pumpkin to hang on the fridge, and your little one will be so proud of their handiwork.

Materials Needed:

construction paper or cards tock

scissors

one sheet of orange tissue paper

glue stick or spray adhesive

Directions:

1) Trace a basic pumpkin shape on to your card stock or construction paper and cut it, or just cut it out freehand with scissors. It doesn’t need to be perfect. An oval with a stem will do.

2) Let your toddler tear the tissue paper up in to tiny pieces. Really let them get in to it. To contain this part of the process I put Bear in his art box and let him go to town. He LOVED it.

3) Spray your pumpkin shape with a light coat of spray adhesive or cover with your glue stick. I recommend the spray because it won’t get your little one sticky and holds the tissue very effectively.

4) Show your wee one how to stick the pieces of tissue on to the pumpkin. Encourage them to cover the whole thing. Back away slowly and watch them work.

5) Take a photo of your babe with the finished product and then pat yourself on the back. Craft accomplished. Mischief managed.

What’s your favorite fall craft for little ones?

28
Oct
2013

Pumpkin Spice Candy Bar Brownies with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing and the Perfect Halloween Party Punch for Your Spooky Celebration

categories: recipes

For our Halloween festivities, as part of a sponsored campaign by Collective Bias, I created the most amazing Pumpkin Spice Candy Bar Brownies with decadent Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing and a simple and perfect party punch. These recipes are so easy, but seriously delicious. They are not exactly diet friendly, but this is time of year for treats so treat yourself. Hopefully these will be new favorite additions to your Halloween Celebration menu. Pumpkin + M&Ms + Chocolate Brownies = Awesome.

I love pretty much anything pumpkin spice flavored, and I tried a pumpkin ice cream cone dipped in chocolate the other day. This gave me the idea to experiment with pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree in my candy bar brownie recipe. Our friend Mary introduced us to candy bar brownies at the beach years ago, and we’ve been addicted ever since. I added the icing as a bonus, and the brownies are delicious with and without it. If the dessert is too rich for you, leave it off or on the side.

A perfect party punch is simple, colorful, and delicious. This one fits that bill and will thrill audiences of all ages. It can also be easily turned in to an adult beverage. You can find coupons for some of the products used in these recipes here.

Pumpkin Spice Candy Bar Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 34.5 oz bag of Mixed Fun Size Mars Candy – M&M Plain and Peanut, Twix, and Snickers or Mixed Miniatures with Milky Way, Twix, 3 Muskateers, and Snickers

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Grease a baking dish. You can use an 8×8 for super thick brownies, or a 9×13 for less thick and more to share. I prefer option two.

3)Beat the eggs in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.

4) Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree and mix well.

5) Add the flour and cocoa powder slowly, stopping to scrap the bowl often.

6) Pour half of the batter into your greased baking dish.

7) Lay your candy out across the batter. For the larger pieces, I recommend breaking them up a bit. Press them in to the batter just slightly.

8) After you cover the whole pan with candy, pour the remainder of your batter over the top and smooth it down to cover your candy completely.

9) Bake for 12-15 minutes. Check it often. I have an “That 70s” oven, so I’m always worried about my recommended baking times. When your knife comes out clean you are good to go.

10) Let cool for a few minutes and then feel free to sample a bit while it is hot and gooey. Then cool completely before icing.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese
4 oz butter – softened

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup real pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

3 1/4 cups confectioners sugar – sifted

Directions:

1) Cream the butter and cream cheese with a stand mixer (or hand mixer) until light and fluffy.

2) Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, and continue to mix well.

3) Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl.

4) Continue to mix until the icing is light and fluffy. I’ll go ahead and quote the song: “Whip it. Whip it good.”

5) Once your brownies have cooled, spread the icing on top and enjoy. If you have some left over, this icing is delightful as a dip for your graham crackers.

For a kid friendly party, serve this dessert on festive paper or plastic plates with forks. For adults, crystal or antique plates and an ornate cake plate set a haunting atmosphere. Likewise, for a kid friendly party a carved out pumpkin or pitcher is perfect for serving party punch. For the adults an antique crystal punch bowl adds a little extra Halloween flair.

Perfect Party Punch Recipe:

1 2 liter bottle of 7 Up (or Diet 7 Up)

1 Gallon of Hawaiian Punch

1 1/2 Quarts of Rainbow Sherbet

large punch bowl or pitcher

Perfect Party Punch Directions:

1) Pour your Hawaiian Punch into the punch bowl.

2) Add scoops of the sherbet.

3) Pour the 7 Up over the top to create the foamy green goodness that makes this punch a little spooky and seriously yummy.

This recipe has a 1/1/1 ratio. To create a smaller amount of punch, just cut the amount of each product in half or however much you need. The punch may settle a bit if left alone too long, so give it a stir occasionally.

These brownies were a huge hit at our Halloween play date. One of our four year old friends told his mom that this was the best dessert he’s ever had. Out of the mouths of babes comes truth, people. These sweet treats are seriously rich and delicious. For other fabulous Halloween baking and party ideas, click here.

What is your favorite pumpkin treat?

25
Oct
2013

Tips for Taking a Baby to Disney World

categories: family, florida, travel

I love Disney and was blessed to go three times through my former job with Young Life. Jed asked me to marry him in front of Cinderella’s Castle in 2008 and we were able to take the Bear with us on our last trip. We are big fans. I’m hoping and planning to go back when the kids are little bigger, but I want you to know it is possible to take a baby and enjoy it. The Bear was 8 months old on our last trip, and still nursing. We did some things right, learned from our mistakes, and had a fabulous time.

Five Tips for Taking Baby to Disney World

1) Don’t try to do too much.

This was our biggest mistake. We had a park hopper pass and tried to do 2 parks in one day. It caused unnecessary stress and it would have been much better to spread the parks out. Take time to relax and don’t skip out on nap and rest time for your little one.

2) Take your baby on some rides and ride swap on others.

It might sound crazy, but we took the Bear on some rides. He LOVED It’s a Small World and the Haunted Mansion. He had no idea the mansion was supposed to be scary and loved all the lights and the gently turning ride. For more intense rides, ride swap is available. One parent rides while the other waits with a cast member and the baby, then the parents switch out.

3) Plan ahead for meals. (for everyone)

This was our other big mistake. We didn’t realize reservations were required months in advance and were laughed at by a haughty hostess at Epcot. The walk up places are still fine, but we will get reservations next time. We did bring baby food with us and planned our routes around when Bear would need to nurse. There are baby care centers at all the parks and they are lovely. I nursed Bear throughout the day in the baby centers and it was such a nice, quiet break for both of us. They have everything you need there and the staff are amazing. One of my favorite things about Disney Parks is how much each cast member seems to love their job. These ladies were no exception.

4) Pack that stroller like you mean it.

Think through everything your baby might need and then double it. Extra clothes all around, extra diapers, a blanket, a rain jacket for everyone, everything you might need. The two best things we brought were a dark rain jacket to cover the stroller for naps and our iPhone with a sound machine app on it. We turned on the white noise, covered the stroller, and the Bear napped three times and nearly slept through the fireworks. I highly recommend bringing a sling or Ergo to carry your babe around in so they can have a change of scenery and get out of the stroller.

5) Know when to fold ’em.

You may have to go back to your resort in the middle of the day for a nap. It is okay. You may not get to see the fireworks every night of your trip. Still okay. Sometimes your baby can be pushed to stay up, nap in the stroller or in the carrier, and go with the flow. Other times they will bend you to their will like a tiny tyrant. Flexibility is the name of the game. Relax and enjoy, but don’t stress out about missing out on the Dumbo ride because your sweet babe was done for the day.

Have you been to Disney World? What would your dream Disney vacation include?
Follow Becca’s board Family Travel on Pinterest.

22
Oct
2013

Babies in the Pumpkin Patch

categories: DFW, family

Fall is my favorite.

Pumpkins and pumpkin flavored things abound and the weather eventually cools down.

It makes me want to be outside all day every day.

My favorite pumpkin patch in DFW is the pumpkin village at the Dallas Arboretum. We were members for years when we lived close by, but now only visit on occasion. There are thousands of pumpkins and it is a festival of autumn delights. We took the Pearl girl for her first time and promptly plopped her in the Bear’s lap for a photo shoot. She was not sure what to make of the whole situation.

The one below is my favorite so far. Her eyes are filled with wonder and he is hugging her so sweetly. It turned in to more of a headlock shortly after. We’ve got to work on the brother/sister pose.

What is your favorite thing about fall?

21
Oct
2013

Meal Plan: Quick and Easy Garlic and Herb Chicken Saute with Cous Cous, Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

categories: meal planning, recipes

I love to meal plan to help our family save money on groceries, so when I was given the opportunity to share a recipe and a meal plan with my readers on behalf of Collective Bias and their client, I jumped at the chance. If you are new to meal planning or just looking for fresh dinner ideas, I’ve got you covered. This meal is so easy and delicious, you’ll want to add it to your monthly menu. The ingredients are simple but combined create a flavorful, veggie filled, quick meal perfect for a busy week night.

If cooking intimidates you or you are super busy, roasting and sauteing are your best bets for preparing real food fast. Saute Express Saute Starters take the guess work out of flavoring your meal, and can be used on a variety of proteins and vegetables. You can find all five flavors in the dairy section at your local Walmart. I want to try the Teriyaki and Italian Herb flavors next.

Quick and Easy Garlic and Herb Chicken Saute with Cous Cous, Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

(serves 2-3)

The total prep + cooking time should only be about 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

8-10 ounces of chicken breast meat, cubed

2 heads fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces

1 lb baby carrots or 6 large carrots sliced

2 packets of Land O’ Lakes Saute Express Saute Starter in Garlic and Herb flavor

olive oil

sea salt

balsamic vinegar

one package of instant cous cous (I used parmesan cous cous.)

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400 F.

2) Start with your broccoli. Toss all of it into a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt. Lay it out on a baking pan you previously sprayed with cooking spray or greased. Do not put it in the oven yet.

3) Use the same bowl to toss your carrots with olive oil and sea salt. Then add a little bit of balsamic vinegar, just enough for a light coating. Spread your carrots out on another greased baking sheet. Put the carrots in the oven, but hold off on the broccoli until the carrots have been in for 5 minutes. The carrots take a little longer, but I wanted to spare you washing two bowls. You’re welcome.

4) The carrots need to cook at 400 F for 20 minutes, and the broccoli for about 15. Flip them with a spatula half way through for even roasting.

5) While your vegetables are roasting, grab 2 packets of your Land O’ Lakes Saute Express Saute Starter and place the unwrapped starter in pan on medium heat. Let it melt fully, coating the pan. To expedite this process you can swirl the starter around with your spatula. I used two packets instead of the recommended one because I had a little more than half a pound (10 ounces) and I wanted a little bit of extra sauce for the cous cous.

6) Once your starter is melted completely and bubbling, enjoy the aroma and add your cubed chicken. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes, flipping it occasionally for even cooking.

7) While your chicken is cooking, prep your cous cous according to the package directions and set aside. It should only take a few minutes to cook.

8) Temp your chicken with a meat thermometor and make sure it has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 F. Once fully cooked, serve your chicken on a bed of cous cous with a side of your beautiful roasted vegetables and enjoy.

You don’t have to be Julia Child or Martha Stewart to make fresh, delicious dinners for your family. You just need a few ingredients and maybe an episode of Daniel Tiger to entertain your little people. Meal planning is not just for families. When I was single, and before we had kids, we were the WORST at planning our meals and spent way to much money dining out and grabbing fast food because of a lack of planning and a multitude of excuses. Sometimes it can be hard to feel like it is worth cooking a whole meal for just you. You are worth it. Your body and your budget will thank you. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be intentional.

Now that Monday is taken care of, here’s a meal plan for the rest of the week.
Tuesday: Chicken Fajita Tacos from Simply Organized Mama
Wednesday: Spinach Quiche from Coco and Cocoa
Thursday: Quick and Easy Chunky Texas Chili from Mom Prepares
Friday: Crock Pot Spicy Pulled Pork from Three 31 with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes
Saturday: Lasagna Bites from Hooked on the Howards with Caesar Salad
Sunday: King Ranch Chicken Casserole from Yesterfood with Sauteed Zucchini and Squash (Use 1-2 Saute Express packets with veggie slices for a delicious side dish.)

What’s on your meal plan this week?

18
Oct
2013

Frugal Friday: Sell Your Junk and Make Money with a Multi Family Garage Sale {Ten Helpful Tips}

categories: frugal

We had a problem.

A pile of stuff was growing in our garage.

We didn’t have quite enough to host our own garage sale because we got rid of so much stuff during our move and my simplify purge last year. We also donated a ton to two Young Life garage sales over the past two years.

But, the pile of stuff still grew.

After talking with a few of our friends we discovered that all of us shared this same problem and we decided to do something about it. The Berres volunteered to host because their garage is large and they live in a high traffic area. Perfect. Everyone had an assigned tag color and we all prepped our own stuff. We brought it over on a Friday night and held our sale on a Saturday morning from 7-12. It was a blast. Everyone worked hard, the kids played, and then we all went home for lunch and a nap with less wasted stuff in our homes and more money in our pockets. The Bear had possible the best day of his entire life and then took a 3 hour nap. Hallelujah. Everybody wins.

I asked my lovely co-hosts to share their best tips for throwing a multi-family sale. They came through with some fabulous suggestions. Gather a few friends or a few other families and throw a sale of your own.

Ten Tips for a Group Garage Sale
1) Designate people for each part of the sale. (adding up purchases, making change, bagging purchases, tracking tags, organizing, watching for shoplifters, etc)
2) Assign each family or person a different colored sticker to tag their stuff.
3) Take the time to price all of your stuff. You will make more money in the end.
4) Bring plastic grocery bags to help people carry their purchases home. This is a great way to get rid of all those unwanted Walmart bags.
5) Have a sheet with each families name at the top. Place the tags from their sold items on their page to track their sales. This makes it a cinch to add up at the end.
6) Bring a calculator. Trust me on this. You are not as good at math as you think you are.
7) Set up the night before and start early, but don’t put your signs out until you are ready to go. If you advertise online and in the paper, be ready a half hour before you said the sale started. People are crazy and will show up at the crack of dawn for a deal.
8) Price reasonably. No one cares about your emotional attachment to that old blender. They just want a deal.
9) Merchandising is key. Display your stuff so it is easy to sort through. Bring as much stuff out in to your driveway and yard do that people aren’t crowded and can easily see things. Display like things together.
10) Remember the point of your garage sale is to empty your home of stuff you don’t need or want without sending it to the landfill. Making money is secondary and an added perk.

Bonus: Pass out your old wedding favors as freebies to customers. (See below.)

If you have enough folks, sell water and soft drinks to your shoppers. They will appreciate it and you can make a few extra dollars. Good luck!
Have you ever thrown a group garage sale? Share your tips in the comment section below.

16
Oct
2013

Family Fun in DFW: Visiting the Owens Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

categories: DFW, family, travel

Fall is my favorite. It might be 90 degrees outside in Texas, but we will set our babies in pumpkin patches and drink pumpkin drinks and eat pumpkin treats anyway, dang it. One of the fabulous things about DFW is that even though we live in a giant metroplex, there are a ton of rural areas close by. The Owens Farm is actually smack in the middle of Richardson, and is the original farm started by the Owens family of tasty sausage fame. Sadly, the Bob Evans company that now owns the farm is closing it in November. This was our last shot to visit the farm we drive past nearly every day.

The Bear was in farm heaven. He loved it all. The horses, goats, mini horses and donkeys, chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs, and plethora of pumpkins all captured his imagination and he ran around with wild abandon.

We all loved the hayride.

Bear talked about riding on the tractor for days after.

Apparently I dressed Ellie like a boy because folks kept asking, “How old is he?”, which reinforced my theory that I have a looser definition of gender neutral than most people. I think she looks adorable in her cowgirl boot socks, pumpkin hat, and striped overalls.

The Owens Big Orange Pumpkin Farm runs through the end of October and costs $7 on weekends and $6 on week days per person. On week days you may run in to field trips, but you get a pumpkin with your admission price. On the weekends you get a hot dog instead of a pumpkin. I tried to negotiate for a pumpkin instead, but they said no. It is a fun day out, but not exactly frugal. We thought Bear would get in for free because he is 2, but found out at the gate they charge for 2 and up. We still had a blast, even though Jed and I were a little frustrated about the unexpected cost.

Do you like to visit a pumpkin patch with your family? Where is your favorite one located?
Don’t forget I have a great list of fall festival corn maze and pumpkin patch discounts posted here.

14
Oct
2013

Four Things the Inside of Your Car is Saying About You ~ A NickMom Inspired Story #MotherFunny

categories: parenting

This post is part of a sponsored campaign through Collective Bias. When your world is run by very small people, sometimes you just need to laugh. My kids bring me endless joy and delight, but they also bring major messes, frustration, and copious amounts of bodily fluids to brighten my day. Nickelodeon’s NickMom.com provides hilarious mom-centered content for those moments when you want to lighten up and giggle at yourself and others. When I read this post, “What does your snack offering say about you?”, I started thinking about the place where all of our snacks end up… the inside of my car. I don’t know about you, but my car’s interior basically looks like we are vagabond hoarders on most days. Inspired by NickMom, I came up with a list to judge us all by the inside of our cars. Sorry Dr. King, we’ll save the content of our character judging for another day. I too have a dream. It involves a car cleaning fairy.

Four Things the Inside of Your Car is Saying About You

1) Sweet and Sour
The car’s interior looks clean at first glance, but an unpleasant yet unidentifiable smell hits your nostrils as you open the door. The culprit? A rogue sippy cup thrown under the passenger seat. Milk does not do well after two weeks unrefrigerated.
You are a big picture kind of girl, but skim over the details. Your child may accuse you of skipping pages while reading yet another seemingly endless Cat in the Hat book, but at least you are reading to him.

2) Messy Mayhem
Seventeen semi-empty coffee mugs fill every cup holder and crevice in your vehicle. Each one is filled with a wadded up piece of paper, candy wrapper, or wet wipe. Your very demanding small people have a lot of energy and in order to keep up you must caffeinate regularly. You maintain a belief in a cleaning fairy that will someday appear and make all the trash go to its home.

3) Conspiracy Theory or Retail Therapy
Every surface is spotless and shiny and new car smell permeates the air. Either you are covering up a recent crime spree or you actually bought a new car and have yet to let your children enter the vehicle. In either case, I’m sure it was justifiable.

4) Overbooked
Smashed Cheerios line the floorboard as far as the eye can see. Toys tossed aside crunch underfoot and dvds fill every door pocket. You just had to get through those errands and that Starbucks drive through line, and junior decided to use the snack trap as a projectile. Priorities, people. You had that kind of day today. And yesterday.

So ladies, what does the inside of your car say about you? I’m a combination of Messy Mayhem and Overbooked with a rogue sippy cup thrown in for good measure. If you need a laugh today, follow NickMom on Facebook and Twitter, and check out NickMom.com. A good belly laugh totally counts as cardio. Your abs will thank you.

14
Oct
2013

Eleanor Pearl at Five Months

categories: baby, family, parenting

Time is flying, and our girl is already five months old.

She is so bright eyed and delightful.

She laughs at her brother all day long.

She is incredibly curious and always taking in her surroundings.

She is *this close* to crawling.

She pushes up and rocks back and forth.

Sometimes she even launches herself forward.

She can get pretty much wherever she wants by rolling.

Rolling and chewing, that’s how she spend her days.

Judging by the amount of drool and chewing,

I think her first tooth is not far off.

She loves to be worn in the Ergo or pushed in the stroller and is up for any adventure.

Floor time makes her happy, especially when it is outside on a blanket.

She is loving her “baby office”, and exersaucer from a consignment sale.

Sweet Eleanor is still exclusively breastfed.

She refuses a bottle, so she is mama’s little sidekick wherever I go.

Sometimes I wish she would take a bottle,

but I wouldn’t trade our precious nursing relationship for the world.

We didn’t have a check up this month,

so I’m guessing her weight is around 15-16 pounds.

Judging by her rubber band wrists and chunky little thighs

she is healthy and growing fast.

She wears 6-12 month clothes.

We are using cloth diapers almost exclusively, and it is so much easier now that the Bear is potty trained (except for nap & night). One in cloth is WAY easier than two. Captain Obvious, reporting for duty.

Every time she outgrows something, it breaks my heart just a little.