A City Life For Me

This week we made indoor snow following these guidelines from Modern Parents Messy Kids.  The recipe just said two boxes of cornstarch and 1 can of shaving cream.  The sizes were not specified.  After a little trial & error, we did end up with some snow.  I wanted to pass some tips along to you so you can make your own snow! I used: 2 – 16 oz. boxes of corn starch 1+ – 10 oz. cans of Barbasol Original shaving cream. Here’s what we discovered… it’s really hard to mix the shaving cream into so much corn starch.  I started with all of the corn starch in my bowl, and added the shaving cream a little at a time.  Even after I thought it was mixed well, and divided it between the kids, I still had to add more shaving cream to each of their piles. It would be best to mix the shaving cream into 1 box of corn starch at a time.  It will probably take closer to 3/4 can of shaving cream.  Maybe I bought the jumbo boxes of cornstarch? ...

It’s been cold here.  Really cold.  Usually we bundle up and persevere in our walks and outings – through rain, cold, or whatever.  But not the last two weeks.  It’s been in the 20s and windy.  And since it takes a lot of effort for me to get out these days anyways…and since our new house is a little farther from any of our stops…we’ve been stuck. Inside.  Going crazy. I’ve been trying to do activities with the kids to break up the monotony of princess dress-ups and train tracks.  I printed off a snow man tot pack and we’ve been doing crafts and such around the winter/snowman theme.  Here’s a peek into our efforts to bust the winter blues. :: Snow Man Tot Pack – I downloaded two different ones ( 3Dinosaurs and Royal Baloo ).  Elaine is doing pre-writing practice and cutting practice, as well as matching games, coloring sheets, and puzzles. :: Baking – We made a new kind of cookie with ingredients we had on hand – Peanut Butter Oatmeal...

I have tried several times to continue my coupon clipping addiction after moving to New York City.  I was trying to fit my suburban training & experience into my new urban lifestyle.  What I discovered is that most of the time, my time and convenience are more important than saving a few cents with a coupon.  We do not have the stores that double coupons here and run amazing sales flyers like I had in Virginia Beach.  I do shop the sale flyer and stock up on items I use regularly, but I do not spend a lot of time clipping coupons. This has meant that I have had to find other creative ways to pinch my pennies.  There are a few items which I use that are cheapest in bulk.  We had a Costco membership, but opted not to spend the money to renew.  I have a friend who picks up those few items for me when she is going anyway.  {This may change when I have three kids in diapers…I may have to renew}.  Here are a couple of little things I do to...

My Uncle Scott gave my kids some costumes for Christmas.  Elaine’s turned out to be a little small {it was a 6-12 months…I think Scott forgot his glasses!}.  We had a good laugh about it.  Nolan’s was a sock monkey costume and fit just right.  I actually already had one at home which I had purchased for our Harvest Party circus theme.  Because of Hurricane Sandy, our Harvest Party had to be cancelled.  But now I have two matching costumes so I decided to save them for the twins.  Might make a cute photo shoot later? Elaine was convinced that one costume was for her, so I let her try it on to prove it was too small.  It is too small, but just barely.  She wiggled into it and then convinced Nolan into his costume.  I snapped some pictures, though Nolan didn’t seem to like all of the layers he was wearing! Nolan was much happier once I unsnapped his leggings and let him sit in my lap!

I had these pictures all ready, but Wednesday flew by and left me in the dust! Nolan’s new boot mug Nolan’s new smile The resident doctors All of the princesses…and Nolan Her curls lasted three days this time!

Nolan turned 18 months on December 30th.  He’s a smart little guy who watches everything and picks up on details.  He loves his new room and the added height of a step stool, which allows him to reach the light switches.  He is now pacifier free, but not very happily!  I think meal times are his favorite, but he loves anything that sister is doing {sometimes to her dismay}.  He especially likes books & reading – whether by himself {but always on Elaine’s bed} or in Mommy’s lap.  If it is electronic and makes noise, Nolan wants it.  He can find a cell phone or power cord anywhere and entertain himself.  We love our Nolanator!

We feel pretty settled into our new apartment.  Everything has been unpacked, and the last of the boxes sent to the recycling today.  Pictures are hung on the wall, and everything seems to have a place.  I’m still “rearranging” little spots here and there, like kitchen cabinets and drawers.  The kids room will get some more work done closer to the twins’ arrival – when we get bunk beds for Nolan & Elaine. But for now, it’s all good. I am much more happy with my picture wall in this apartment – and there is room on the sides to add two more kiddos in a couple of months! I really like my new rug…one of the few things we own from IKEA.  {Ben hates IKEA, but he picked this out}.  I have been enjoying having my devotions on the couch in a cozy spot.  My plants seem to be doing better with more sunlight, too. We eliminated a bookshelf and everything fits nicely on these two.  Still working on the tops – they are a little cluttered...