{Happy Noon Years!}

As a mom of a toddler that doesn’t sleep, the thought of staying up until midnight to ring in the new year sounds like torture. Yet, for fear of being lame I had to do something, thus Noon Years Eve was born.

Now that Lucas and Chuck are old enough to enjoy their mom’s crazy ideas, we decided to put together a little party for them. It ended up being a really small party (thank you flu season!) but it ended up being the perfect size for them. The kids all had a great time, and that’s really all that matters.

The anatomy of a Noon Years Eve party doesn’t really take much. There were a few simple activities planned, a few decorations, some simple yet amazing food and we partied on!

The Decor

I bought a $3.99 roll of black glittery wrapping paper from the craft store, cut out a “Happy Noon Year” sign and used the excess as the backdrop to a big “2014” cut out of kraft paper. Note to moms: Extra Strength glue sticks do not stick to glitter wrapping paper so make sure you use wet glue or a glue gun before you tape the wrapping paper to the wall. Lesson learned.

Luckily, Ally has an unending supply of Kraft paper which I papered a section of the wall and floor for the kids to decorate with dot art, chalk and stickers. It wasn’t a big hit, it provided about 10 minutes of fun but made for a cute backdrop.

The NYE Bling

Thank you Walmart for selling cheesy paper 2014 glasses, 3 for $2.44. How could I resist?

We also have an unending supply of mardi gras beads that they loved putting on! At one point I think Chuck was wearing them all, she even managed to get them around her waist and legs-it was adorable!

The Crafts

What would NYE be without party hats and noisemakers? The kids werent interested in decorating the paper crowns I had cut out, but they loved the noisemakers and they were so simple to make! I cut up some mardi gras beads into short strands and Lucas and Chuck had a great time putting them into tennis ball tubes. The wide mouths of the tubes were the perfect size for little hands to put in (and take out) the colorful beads. I had also bought some sparkle star stickers to decorate the outside, but you really didn’t need them, the beads were so pretty by themselves. Some stars ended up inside the tubes as well and it made for a great effect!

Tasty Treats

Delicious food is a must for any NYE party and just because we were partying at noon didn’t hold us back! I wanted to do something simple, yet amazingly delicious so we had a mac and cheese bar! It was perfect for the kids and adults and as the hostess I loved it because it didn’t take me away from the party. Before the party I put together mac and cheese in the crock pot and prepped all the toppings. Since it was a small party, we only had 4 toppings but the possibilities are endless! Our choices were: chicken, bacon, peas and gouda (for those sophisticated palates). To make it fun, and easy to identify the toppings, I borrowed the chalkboard from Lucas’s room to use as a serving board to easily label each bowl. Unfortunately I did not get a pic of everything all set up- we were all very hungry! For desert, everyone got a midnight kiss!

The Big Countdown!

Supplies needed: plastic drop cloth, painters tape, balloons, balloons, balloons!

For the countdown to noon, I wanted to make it big and exciting with minimal mess. A balloon drop was perfect! For the countdown I made a quick slideshow on iPhoto. Luckily iPhoto makes everything simple, even computer challenged people like myself can figure it out (for clarification, I am Karen. Ally rocks at computers). 

After the countdown we pulled the painters tape off the ceiling and the kids ran around with the balloons for at least 20 minutes. They had the best time! Of course, after his friends left Lucas asked to “put them back up there?” It didn't happen, but the balloons kept him occupied for that evening and part of New years day!

We all had a great time and I am hoping to make this part of our New Years Eve tradition for years to come!

{Simple Gifts}

A couple of weeks ago I shared an article from one of my favorite blogs, on Heuristic Play. Basically, Heuristic Play is a fun way of saying "kids like to investigate the objects around them using their senses[" What amazed me was all the friends that shared their photos and comments about their babies playing with a whisk for hours.  

Since we celebrate the "Winter Trifecta" in my household (Chanukah, Christmas, Birthdays), I am frequently asked "What does Chuck want?"  First of all, Chuck has no idea what she wants.  She's two. Aside from that, she literally has fun playing with a paper bag.  This got me thinking . . . 

Since this is the season, these are some  Simple Gifts that have been Chuck approved! 

The Plastic Bottle 

This has been a long time favorite of Chuck's.  I noticed her affinity for an empty plastic bottle at a very young age.  In fact, I remember being rather humbled by the fact that she pretty much ignored all those clip on toys I bought for her car seat/stroller. All she wanted was a plastic bottle.  She wanted to nom on the top.  She wanted to squish it and make it change shapes.  She wanted to roll it on the floor. 

Now that she's a bit older, I notice that she enjoys filling the bottles with items found around the house and makes them into shakers.  Over the summer, we spent hours filling them with water and emptying them.  

Simply said: Chuck loves herself a plastic bottle

The teacher part of me loves watching how she can spend hours exploring the plastic bottle.  When she fills it with little things found around the house, she is working on her fine motor skills.  When she's rolling it around, she's working on her gross motor skills.  This is really a win/win toy for everyone! 

The Cardboard Box

One day, last winter, I cut a hole in a cardboard box[,] and made it into a tunnel for Chuck. That box survived many, many snow days last year.  For a while it was a tunnel.  When it was turned over, it was a boat.  Cardboard boxes are great for imaginative play -- because they let your child IMAGINE!  Cardboard boxes give her a blank canvas to construct whatever she wants. Watching Chuck build and construct the world around her is amazing! 

The Blankie 

Now, this one's not a freebie.  However, if you are anything like me, you were given a thousand blankets to welcome your little one into the world.  The first couple of months, you probably wrapped up your baby burrito style.  During the summer months, I would drape them over the stroller to protect Chuck from the sun.  

They are also great for fort building, peek-a-boo, hiding things . . . I can go on, and on, and on.  Building a blanket fort is one of our favorite go to activities.

While these suggestions may seem all too simple, we know them to be true. We have all seen our children, and everyone else's children, play with the box and ignore the fancy toy. Embrace your child's sense of imaginative play, and hand them everyday items that allow them to construct their own worlds. Of course, use your common sense and best judgement with regard to any item given to a child for play, and supervise when necessary. Take the caps off the bottles, make sure all the staples are out of the cardboard box. Most importantly, don't forget to jump in too, and have fun!

Also, for the record:  a lot of my house still looks like this:

{Project: You've Been Elfed!}

As a lover of food, mason jars and all things crafty, I have always wanted to gift mason jar cookies to all of my friends. You know the ones:  the layers of flour, sugar and chocolate chips just waiting for a few wet ingredients to be made into baking bliss.  For whatever reason, I have never gotten around to it. Maybe it's an irrational fear of those little jars of yumminess not being as loved by someone else. 

Another thing I have always wanted to do was to "Boo!" Someone. Basically, it's like ding, dong, dash with a treat. Technically, it's a Halloween thing but who says you can't be Elfed or Snowmanned? 

As Lucas and I were whipping up another batch of play dough I realized I could do both of these fun activities and thus, LuCk Dough Jars were born!

Lucas helped pack all of the dry ingredients into mason jars, I popped on a label and attached a festive cookie cutter and we were ready to go!

For extra fun, I decided to add a film canister with peppermint extract in it. If you are using a dry scent, like cinnamon you can always use a little baggy. Just make sure you let the receiver know there is a little something extra that needs to be taken out and added before cooking!

Unfortunately, we will have to save the Boo! Portion of my great idea until next year when he understands the concept a bit more but that's okay! 

It is also a good idea to give your mom friends the heads up before coming over and leaving packages on the stoop. I also made sure each envelope said it was from Lucas.

{Make n' Mingle}

Celebrating Christmas is something relatively new to me. It's not like I had evil parents, it's just I'm Jewish, and my husband isn't. What this means is I've basically idealized Christmas for most of my life. Growing up, my family's tradition was to either go on vacation, or go to the movies. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not complaining about a lack of Christmas in my childhood.  Believe me, I had a rather remarkable childhood.  Yet, to an outsider, the whole Christmas thing is kind of magical: families bundling together around a fireplace, opening up gifts wrapped with care and love that were delivered by a jolly old man.  In my dreams, Christmas was a simply wonderful day. 

The Holiday Season is a busy time with my family: we have five birthdays, Christmas, and Hanukkah.   With so much to celebrate, it can all get a bit overwhelming! In the month of December alone, Chuck celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas, and her second birthday.   

As I grow older (and slightly more cynical), you begin to realize the commercialism associated with Christmas.  

There has always been something a wee bit wondrous about a handmade, homemade holiday. I tend to go into craft overload this time of year. Based on my Pinterest feed, I don't think I'm the only one!  I always find myself pinning all kinds of things that would be fun to make 'some day'.  Last year,  in order to combat a bit of the commercialism, I decided to make that "some day" happen. I invited a bunch of my ladies over to the house for a little Make n' Mingle.  The premise is pretty simple: you bring your craft supplies, some adult libations, and some treats.  We sit around my dining room table  craft, talk, and help each other out.  

Alone, I can't sew my way out of a paper bag.  Yet, as a group, we managed to sew my daughter's Christmas Stocking last year.  I was so proud of this stocking, that I may or may not have created a Facebook post entitled  "This is how proud of I am of my stocking" and another update that states "bite me Pottery Barn Christmas, my daughter's stocking is made with love." I pulled it out of the box this year, and was amazed that it was still in one piece!  I hope she uses it for a long long time.  And, although its not as fancy as a Pottery Barn Stocking, I hope she appreciates all the thought and planning that went into it. 

This month, I would like to focus on handmade, homemade holidays.  Will my daughter receive a toy that came from a store?  Of course!  But, I would like to create something for her that came from me every year. 

The point of Make n' Mingle is not so much what we make, its how we make it.  We make it together, with friends, sitting around a table, sharing ideas, telling stories, enjoying a cocktail (or a beer if you're Karen).  It's a lot like an adult playdate! 

Want to see where we get our ideas?  Follow our Make n' Mingle Pinterest Board!  Follow Allyson Noel Make and Mingle! on Pinterest<>

{We're Thankful for Cookies}

This weekend we got together with a neighbor for the "Great Cookie Bake-a-Thon!".   There's a bunch of different ways you can tackle baking with toddlers- they key is making sure that everyone has a task, even if that task is simply holding onto a whisk.  

LuCk & Co. had a fun time in the kitchen.  Lucas honed his butter mashing skills. Abby, our guest, whisked a mean egg. Chuck just hung around the kitchen taking in the sites, and all three of them enjoyed some sampling along the way.  We measured ingredients out, counted how many eggs we cracked, and stared into the oven watching cookie magic happen! 

Baking with toddlers can be fun! Here's a few tricks of the trade to make this a little bit more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Recipe for Success

Choose a recipe that leaves a little wiggle room.  We made chocolate chip cookies.  At the end of the day, its hard to go wrong with sugar, eggs, flour, and chocolate.  There's a LOT of room for error, or as I like to call it, "experimentation."

Prep

Have everything you need in arms reach.  When I watch cooking shows, I am always in awe at the level of preparation that goes into getting everything set up.  I try to emulate this when kids aren't around.  It's an absolute MUST when the kids are in the kitchen.

Get Everyone Ready

Once their hands are washed, most recipes can be divided into "wet" and "dry" ingredients.  If you have multiple bakers in the kitchen, you can assign some one to be "in charge" of each of these things.  Lucas went to town creaming the sugar and butter!  He is a mashing machine!  

Don't Forget the Fun 

Have some containers filled with ingredients for the kids to to play with. There's a lot of waiting in baking; having bowls filled with a little bit of flour to play with while you are waiting for a batch of cookies to come out of the oven, reduces the risk of real ingredients getting sampled.  

The cookies are baked and all packaged up to bring to the Senior Center on Wednesday! They may not win any competition, but I sure hope the folks we deliver them to can taste all the love that went into these (and don't notice that a few chocolate chips may or may not be missing) 

I wouldn't be telling the whole story without the disclaimer that this will be messy and the end result will vary.  There may even be some crying involved.  Chuck reminded me that baking is a very sensory rich environment: there's a lot of clanking and whirling and buzzing. Baking with a group is chaotic; and although a full-blown toddler sensory overload meltdown was not in this recipe, I'm pretty sure that's what happened. 

Sometimes I need an activity like this to remind me that even though I had visions of mommy/daughter bake-a-thons this winter, I may need to re-envision my vision.  Chuck is super sensitive to sounds right now (hey, she's 23 months old, what do you expect?), so the noise of the mixer really bothered her.  She's also been super clingy lately, and its really hard to measure out flour while balancing a toddler on your hip. Even though I wanted her to get her hands in on the action, Chuck was perfectly content watching from the sidelines (or in my arms) and chewing on a whisk.  I need to remind myself that "that's OK".  And it is.  There will be more chances to bake cookies in this girl's future.     

{Surviving Thanksgiving Part III: Teaching Toddlers To Be Thankful}

With a little over a week until Thanksgiving, we have been thinking a lot this month about all the things we have to be thankful for. I've spent a lot of time focusing on what to cook, and how to keep my kid at the Thanksgiving table for 30 minutes.  The reason I put this much planning and thought into these things is so when next Thursday arrives, we can spend time actually giving Thanks.

Lucas and Chuck give us so many things to be thankful for, observing them experience new things, listening to them giggle, and watching them share secrets with each other.

It got me thinking, "how can I get my kid to be thankful? Is that even possible?"

I don't think there's a single person in the world who sets off on the adventure of parenthood with the goal of raising a self-centered child.  Twenty-two months into it, I have to honestly admit, I can see how some kids become self-centered.  I'll give you the play-by-play: the first months of my daughter's life, I gave her what ever she asked for.  My main goal was to decrease the amount of crying that came out of her.  If buying her a golden pony encrusted with diamonds would have made that happen, I would have done it.  About a year ago I had "a moment". Chuck was doing something wrong at the dinner table, I looked at her firmly and said "no".  I didn't raise my voice.  I didn't look upset, but she knew that I wasn't pleased at that moment. The above photo is the result of this interaction.  I snapped it right before things took a turn for the worse. Her little lip came out, her eyes welled with tears, and I felt horrible.  What ever it was that she did that was so wrong (I honestly can't  even remember it at this moment) was it so bad to make my baby girl turn into a melty mess?   It was this moment I realized that I was no longer just some lady taking care of a baby; I was a parent.  I was overwhelmed with guilt: did I over react?  I'm not a giant believer in tough love.  At that precise moment, all my heart wanted to do was scoop my daughter up in my arms, tell her I was sorry, and explain that everything would be OK.  I realized though, that I couldn't do this.  I had to stand my ground.  I had to let her cry.  It was the longest 30 seconds of my life.


I am a complete word dork. I am especially fascinated by words that are both nouns and verbs. The moment that I realized I was a parent, was made infinitely more sublime by realizing I was, myself, both a noun and a verb.

Parent (n): One who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother.
Parent (v) bring up.

So, how do you (the parent) teach your child to be thankful? How do bring up your kid to be thankful?  This is still a work in progress in my household, and probably will be for the next several decades; however, this is the plan I am going to try.  It follows the age old philosophy of "Monkey See.  Monkey Do."

Model Being Thankful (Monkey See)
Chuck's first words were rather normal, "mama," "dada," and "baba". It was her next words that made me proud: "day dew."  That's Chuck for "thank you".  She still says it; sometimes at inappropriate times that it makes it almost comical.  I choose to believe that she picked this up from all the times I would say "thank you" when someone did something for me (picked up a toy, brought dinner to the table).  It makes me realize that if you want your child to be thankful, you have to model this behavior yourself.   I hope her little "day dew" blossoms into a thousand heartfelt thanks within her lifetime. I hope she one day realizes exactly what she is saying and why she is saying it.  Right now, however, we have to start some where.

Do Thankful Things (Monkey Do)
Next week Lucas and Chuck are going to get together with some friends and deliver cookies to our local senior center.  Is this going to save the world? No, but hopefully we'll bring a little joy to people who may not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families, or maybe to someone who's just having a blah kinda day.  Will Lucas and Chuck know why their moms lugged them to the senior center?  Probably not, but if I waited until Chuck understood things, well, then I'd be one bored mama.  What I really hope is that this is something that becomes a LuCk tradition, and in 10 years Lucas and Chuck will say, "hey, Mom, you know how you've lugged us to the senior center for the last 10 years?  Well, I've been thinking about it, and why can't we go to the senior center every Thursday?" 'Cause, hopefully this will bring a smile to everyone's face.*

I'd love to take credit for all these ideas, but being a mother in the 21st Century, I Googled "how to teach my kid to be thankful".
Here's the most helpful resources I found:
Teaching Children to be Grateful 
5 Ways to Raise a Grateful Child 
How to Raise Grateful Kids




*also, because I couldn't leave you with a pic of my miserable daughter, without a few smiles to balance it out.