Fairy Party for Two

Pin It Now! The Fairest Fairy Face

Fairy Photo Shoot

Yes, even Mom dressed up. :)

I love the fact that Shiloh just did whatever she wanted -- I didn't tell her to hug or kiss me.

Fairy kisses are so sweet!! Oh, and she did have wings. I made them from scrapbook paper. And what color does she pick? BLUE of all colors. NO, not pink to match her dress. How dare I even suggest pink!!

Fairy Food

We made Frosty Fairy Mints -- oh, so good.

Sugar-and-Spice Sandwich Swirls -- so dainty!

Fairy Queen Quiches -- they're supposed to be flowers.

Fruity Magic Wands

Fairy Flower Lemonade -- yummy! Did you know roses were edible? We didn't eat them, though.

Just the girls: Mom, sister, Shiloh and Livi

Fairy Fun

Livi and Shiloh color Fairy World Shrinky Dinks.

The girls watch them bake and eagerly anticipate the shrinking.

Ooooh, showing off their bracelet creations.

What a super-fairylicious time we had! If you've been inspired to have your own fairy party, check out Barbara Beery's Fairies Cookbook for some of the fabulous fairy treats we made.

WFMW: Save Baby Girl Items For Future Play!

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I had waited so long to finally have a girl that I'd had plenty of time to think of all the things I wanted to save for my daughter to use when she was old enough to "play". It is so neat seeing her use the same items that I used for her when she was a baby. :)

Bedtime Bear is sporting one of her Christmas Baby Gap shirts.

Lamby's sweet bonnet was worn by my daughter as a newborn.

Yellow Teddy bear wears one of Shiloh's newborn gowns, and brown bear is actually wearing an outfit that was made by my mom when I was little.

I saved lots of bibs and hats in hopes she'd use them to dress her dolls and such --as you can see, she especially loves Care bears!! (The knitted hat is extra special b/c her aunt made it.)

She now uses one of her old burp cloths as a kitchen towel.

Cabbage Patch Kids, Lisa and Reilly are wrapped in Shiloh's newborn receiving blankets.

I know this last picture has nothing to do with playing, but I made art out of her crib skirt. I just couldn't bear to part with her nursery theme even though it was time for a big girl bed. So, I cut out the pictures from her crib skirt and stuck them in Dollar Store frames. I love it, and it reminds me of when she was a baby. Her new bed is a pink and green pattern, so it still matched.

*Saving baby things for special play items and/or art works for me!!!!

For more amazing tips, visit We are THAT Family.

For the Love of Dragons!

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"She liked pirate stories, too, but most of all she loved books that had at least a knight or a dragon or a fairy in them. She was always on the dragon's side, by the way." --Inkheart





Like mother like daughter. I am so proud. (sniff, sniff)

When it comes to imagination, I am such a child. I LOVE dragons. And fairies and elves and unicorns and . . . well, you get the idea. Shiloh's Happy Meal toy was a cute, little, green dragon from the movie, How to Train Your Dragon, which we haven't seen yet, and she's been treating him like royalty taking him everywhere she goes. Bless her heart, she even tried to feed him cereal. Not good. So she stuck with acorns and Hi-Ho Cherry-O cherries.

If you are like us and unashamedly admit to loving dragons as much as an imaginary creature can be loved, then you may want to check out these dragon books of which we are so fond:

Where's the Dragon --Richard Cook

The Egg --M. P. Robertson

Starlight Sailor --James Mayhew

The Dragon of Lonely Island --Rebecca Rupp

The Return of the Dragon --Rebecca Rupp

The Dragon Snatcher --M.P. Robertson

The Great Dragon Rescue --M.P. Robertson


Image Credit

Fairytastic Dinner

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Mmmmm, Pixie Pancakes sprinkled with "pixie dust", Heart Sausages, and Heart Eggs -- a very fairy dinner we had tonight. :)

The Pixie Pancake idea came from Barbara Beery's Fairies Cookbook, but I used my own recipe.

WFMW: The Old Schoolhouse

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Ever heard of The Old Schoolhouse? It's a magazine and a website.

I had never even heard of it until I became an official product reviewer for them. Seriously, I've home schooled for 10 years and didn't know this great resource existed.

Great news is -- you don't have to be a homeschooler to enjoy some of the website's benefits. There's an entire section devoted to nothing but product reviews -- all kinds of stuff: curriculum, children's books, clothing, toys, natural health, games, and more . . .

Take a look for yourself.

Here are a few of the items I have had the privilege of reviewing:

Dolphin's First Day

Disney Princess Learning Pack

I See Cards Educational Travel Game

Exploring Creation with Astronomy

Just to name a few. :)

I hope you enjoy using this site as much as I have! For more super-luper (as my daughter would say) tips, visit We are THAT Family.

To Die for Cookbooks!

Pin It Now! Well, I wouldn't really die for them . . . but OH, they are SO cute. I want them ALL!! (Except for the Texas Longhorns one)

Unfortunately, my library only carries the Fairies cookbook. I will be making a few fairy treats from this cookbook on Saturday for my daughter and her cousin's special fairy party. Pics to come . . .

Forgive Those Wicked Step-Mothers

Pin It Now! So, I am having my children memorize what is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer. Technically, as my husband pointed out, it should be The People's Prayer, since it is the way we are supposed to pray.

Anyway, I am sure most are familiar with how it begins . . . "Our Father who art in heaven . . ."

Well, Shiloh has actually been doing rather well with her memorization of the prayer. She gets most of it right until about here: ". . . give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts . . . um . . . and step-mothers."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Oh, it was just too cute.

"It's debtors, honey, debtors -- not step-mothers." They do sound a bit alike, I guess. :)

WFMW: Mysterious Vegetarian Lunch

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I think I could be one of those people who only ate meat about twice a week if it weren't for my family! So, I am always on the lookout for meatless, non-soy alternatives.

If you are brave, try this interesting recipe -- I liked it!!

(It came from Hopkins' Healthy Home Cooking, and the author calls this It's Not Tuna.)

* 1 cooked cauliflower, finely diced

* 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I didn't measure -- I just added until I thought it looked good)

* Dash salt

* Dash basil leaves

* 1 tsp. paprika

* 1 tsp. Italian or Mexican seasoning or whatever else you want to add

(I didn't measure any of the spices and I also added course, ground pepper.)

** Steam cauliflower until tender and cool. Dice finely. Mix all ingredients. Serve open faced on whole wheat toast. Top with tomato, alfalfa sprouts or whatever suits you! (I even topped mine with some cilantro.)

I really did enjoy this different lunch. Two of my children would have rather eaten dogfood, I think. My oldest said it was okay, and my hubby said it would have tasted better on gourmet or home made bread. So, this will probably just be a for-me-only-meal, but that's okay. :)

For more tips, visit We are That Family.

Scored at the Library

Pin It Now! I think any mom who brings a book home that kids want to fight over should score some big-time brownie points!!

No lie, The Truth About POOP, is the book I happened upon while scouring the shelves at the library. With a funny picture of an elephant sitting on a pot, I knew my kids wouldn't be able to resist!

Sho' nuff the boys fought over who was going to read the 40 pages of everything you ever wanted to know about poop. The illustrations are hilarious and yes, it is very educational. I recommend it wholeheartedly. (You won't be able to resist reading it either!)

Guess I need to check these titles out, too, while we are on a roll. (Get it? Roll. Anyway . . .)
*Gee Whiz! It's All About Pee
*The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts

WFMW: Save Money at Starbucks

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As if you really could "save" money at Starbucks. I guess my tip is more of a don't-spend-as-much-money-at-Starbucks tip.



I am not even a coffee drinker, but oh, how I have developed a passion for Green Tea Frappuchinos!!!! Sometimes it's fun to treat the kids to one as well, but like I said, they're not CHEAP!!

So, instead of ordering each kid and myself a separate tall, which would be around $15.20, I order 2 venti-sized fraps. Total--$9.90. A savings of $5.30!



All I do is ask for 2 extra tall cups please. And you know what? Because Starbucks has such amazing service, at most places I don't even have to do the pouring. A kind associate usually pours equal amounts into all the cups and then even asks my children if they want whip with that!!



Yes, that means we only get to pick 2 flavors, but my kids understand that it's either that or nothing. =) And it's a rare treat, too, like yesterday when it was just a me and Shiloh day.

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In honor of WFMW's Greatest Tips Edition, here are some oldies but goodies.

*Couscous for lunch

*Healthy, Homemade Salad Dressing

*My favorite movie review site

For more greatest edition tips visit We are THAT Family.


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Shiloh's Audition

Pin It Now! Shiloh always talks about being a rock star. She plays air guitar in the car and prefers listening to rock-type music.

She also dreams of being on American Idol one day . . .

Well, after bath time the other night, she told her Daddy the song she'd pick to sing on American Idol.

I told her, "Why wait, let's do it now on video!"

She was all for that. I was thinking- she's gonna pick a really rockin' song ~ instead she sang her bedtime song.

Here's what the judges had to say . . .

Randy: "Awww man." Yo . . . Yo, dog. Awwwww. (leans back in chair throwing hands in the air) O.K.- here's what I'm sayin', here's the thing- oh, man . . . oh, yeah, mmmm . . . I don't know. Ellen . . . ?"

Ellen: "Well, first of all, I really like that you chose to wear your pajamas for the occasion. You looked really comfortable on stage, and, yeah, um, I liked it. You're absolutely adorable, and I think your fans will love you."

Cara: You know, (lots of hand motions) I gotta hand it to you for gettin' up there and singing from your heart. (head waving back and forth) And that's what it's all about. I could really tell that you felt (big forward hand movement) the song, and it's relevant in your life right now. (still shaking head, "yes" then looks toward Simon)

Simon: (leans back in chair with the obvious smirk) "O.K., look. You're cute, you're adorable, and how old are you? 4, ok. I would say very interesting song choice, but considering the circumstances, well, you're young and you've got a lot of time. Work on your vocals, stage presence, and well, we may just see you back here in about 10 years. (shoulder shrugg) Alright, off you go." (head nod and wink)

Easter Extras

Pin It Now! Of course, they are of Shiloh in her dress. She didn't want her hair curled, but at least she liked posing for pics. :)

Finally, A Chocolate Bunny

Pin It Now! He begged. He pleaded. All for a cheap, chocolate bunny. So, I stuck one in his basket. And he was happy. I wouldn't be able to afford the kind of chocolate bunnies I'd eat.

Can't do for one without doing for the others, so everyone got a bunny. ~ Yippee ~

I found the cutest micro-gumball machines for a buck.

My beautiful, butterfly-fairy princess. :) (Who looks this good at 6 in the morning.) I think I'd have to throw the camera in the toilet if anyone even thought about taking a picture of me that early!

My three Easter blessings! And two of them even gave up t-shirts just for me on this special day. And they are even smiling in this sweet picture. Thanks kids!

(I truly know Jesus doesn't care if we have new clothes, old clothes, nice clothes, or even dirty clothes to wear on Easter, or any day for that matter.)

Anyway, glad they appeased me with the polo shirts.

Shiloh's the only one wearing something new! Thank you Grandma Honey ~ she loved it and looked adorable!

Worth the Read

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The Woman Teacher

Pine Tree Crosses