Simple Baby Doll Nursery

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As we head into summer, I am trying to clear out the items (both toys and clothes) that the kids have outgrown and maximize the playing time with the stuff they still love. Three children will be home all day, every day for the next 3 months. This means that in order to avoid hearing “I’m bored” on repeat- toys and activities need to be easily accessible. However, a strong organization system has to be in place so that the kids can clean up ON THEIR OWN when I say, “Daddy is on his way home”!

I am always rethinking uses for items around the house. My most recent project involves Capri’s baby dolls. Well, to tell you the truth — most of them were MY baby dolls that I couldn’t bear to sell when I was twelve and had “outgrown” them. {My Magic Nursery dolls were my favorites} Since birth, Capri has collected a small arsenal of babies between birthday, holidays and yard sales. I asked her to choose her favorites and give them to me for a “special project”. The rest were adopted out at our garage sale earlier this month.

I wanted to find a fun way to store her babies, but also make them easy for her to play with & put away. I found an under-bed box with a missing lid in the hall closet & thought…PERFECT. I had saved all of my hospital baby blankets in anticipation of Capri using them for play. I also had a few pairs of baby tights she had outgrown- I pulled out the pink & blue pair to make beanies for her babies and sent the rest to Goodwill.

Baby Capri's feet!

I made a copy of Capri’s footprints from the hospital when she was born & put them on to labels for each baby. At this point, my boys were intrigued and had to get involved. They wanted to name the boy babies and help measure & weigh them.

These were my two favorite names chosen by Capri: Lily & Iloveyou

 

 

 

It turned in to such a fun little activity for them. I am an STELLAR swaddler, so I passed on that useful life-lesson to the boys as well ;)  We wrapped her favorite babies into blanket burritos and put an up-cycled beanie hat on each one. After each baby doll was named, measured and weighed…. we placed them in the new “nursery” {the under-bed box}.

Now, her babies not only look cute, but have a special place to sleep that is easily stored away. That’s a real Magic Nursery!

MAY a.k.a The month life caught up with me!

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I have a confession to make: I was planning a surprise for my Simply Good Living readers. I thought the month of May and “Beauty Week” was the perfect time to launch my first vlog {video blog}! I was wrong. After filming my first video, attempting to edit and upload, it turned into a total failure!!!  To add to the fun, I somehow deleted ALL of my subscriber e-mails!!! {Beauty week= BUST}

This month has brought a sweet friend’s new baby, a yard sale multiple birthday parties, teacher appreciation & Mother’s Day. Most distracting for me right now- it has been one year since the last time I saw my dear friend Trisha who passed away on May 27th 2011. I’d known Trisha since we were 14. This month has gotten the best of me. Bear with me as I limp along.

I am not giving up. Instead of beating myself up about it, I am putting “vlogging” on hold until I have more time to dedicate to doing it right. By next month, the anniversary of Trisha’s death will have passed & the kids will be home for summer. Beauty Week 2.0 will be up and (hopefully) I will have a brand new Simply Good Giveaway for my dedicated fans. Lots to look forward to! PLEASE: sign-up for subscription e-mails after you finish reading this!!! Thank you :)

It’s been 1 year since the Royal Wedding {and Party}!

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Mommies like to play dress up too!

Let’s file this under the “Because life is too short not to have fun” party category. Prince William WAS going to be my husband (if you’d asked me in the early 1990′s), but then I met a dashing gentleman by the name of Nicholas Jones in 1999 and the rest is history. So Will had to move on and find someone else (I’m sure he had a very difficult time)…….enter Kate Middleton.

I have to admit: I love the girl. She is classy, fashionable, friendly and has settled into royal life with ease. After the announcement of their engagement, I decided to throw a “Royal Wedding Party” last year to celebrate the nuptials of my imaginary friends Will & Kate. {You can imagine the look on my husband’s face when I told him what I was planning. I think sometimes he wonders who he married.}

So how exactly do you plan a Royal Wedding Party? Let me tell you the 3 most important steps:

1. Hire a Photographer! Michelle from Bloom Photography laughed when I told her what it was for, but was happy to help! Her website: http://www.hellobloom.com

2. Order a cake. I chose Blue Velvet for this Royal Event :) We all cut it holding hands together. It looked like a mass sister-wives wedding!!!

 

3. Make wedding dresses or Bridesmaid dresses the dress code. See- you really can wear them again! Fitting into them is a whole different issue. We had TWO rip that night!

A few other fun things I did-

Wedding Bell Cocktail Recipe by Kristy Kay

1 part Dole Orange, Pineappple, Banana Juice

1 part Whipped Cream Vodka

Thank you to all of my wonderful guests who are good sports and go along with my craziness!!! Here is a look back at the fun we had just one year ago:

If you are in the mood for a quick montage of all the Royal Wedding events complete with music by Colbie Callait:

 

 

Meet Simply Good Kid- Jordan

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Every now and then life sets something in your lap that is just too good to ignore. That happened for me recently when a teacher friend told me about a very special student at her school. She suggested that I might want to showcase this wonderful girl on my blog……..she was right! I was already tossing around the idea of featuring cool kids who care about the earth. This conversation was a sign from the tree hugger heavens!

Simply Good Kid- Jordan (age 10)

Meet our very 1st SIMPLY GOOD KID: Jordan, a 10 year old enthusiast of all things green. She is a bundle of eco-friendly energy who loves to spread her message to her family, friends and everyone! She is cute, funny and very enthusiastic about her mission go green project {http://www.missiongogreen.org} which started it all.

My interview with Jordan:

 When you first hear the expression “going green” what did you think it meant? “First heard it in Preschool, but didn’t understand what it meant until Kindergarten when I learned more about it”.

Do your friends ask you what this is all about? “They want to help, they think it’s cool. It would be fun to do a green film with my friends”.

What can parents do to get their kids involved in caring about the earth?  “Do it themselves. Set an example. Encourage them by saying ”You did a great job” … Compliment them. Let them do it”!

A fun idea Jordan wanted me to include: Whenever a light is left on by a kid- Yell  VAMPIRE!

(because they are sucking up energy)

What is your favorite eco-friendly product? “Reusable water bottles. My family also grows our own vegetables. We buy organic stuff, cotton shirts & second hand books”.

 

What will you be doing on Earth day this year (Sunday the 22nd)? “Promoting my video and maybe singing a song to the earth :) ”

What do you want to be when you grow up? “Speaker for mission GO GREEN, Interior designer AND photographer”.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t busy spreading your Go Green message? “Right now I am reading the Harry Potter series for the fourth time”!

“I also like to spend time with family. We play games, dance in the living room, and do crafts”.

Jordan recently made this YouTube video (below) with the help of her family. Mom served as videographer while Dad and Brother Cameron, age 6, scored starring roles. I’d love it if you showed your support for this GREEN girl by leaving a comment or encouraging words!

Thank you to Jordan for caring about the Earth, trying to make a difference and for being a SIMPLY GOOD KID! We need more kids like you in the world. :)

Readers and Fans: If you know of a SIMPLY GOOD KID who I should feature on Simply Good Living.com – please contact me at kk@simplygoodliving.com or send me a message on the Simply Good Living facebook page. I would like to choose one child per season (4 per year).

 

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

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As the end of the school year approaches, I am trying to stay up to date on all of my children’s school related events, celebrations and keepsakes. Honestly, sometimes I feel as though each child could use their own secretary. {Anyone want a job? }

Why not throw another project in the mix since I have all the time in the world to devote to cute ideas for my kids….. isn’t that right Pinterest?!

 

Here is the latest project via Pinterest- “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” keepsake book signed by each of my child’s teachers. It will be given to each child as a High School Graduation gift. The time frame is up to you (could be for 8th grade graduation instead). I am posting about this a month before the end of school so you will have enough time to prepare if you’d like to do it!

Supplies you will need:

  1. A copy of Dr. Suess’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”
  2. Tape
  3. A manila envelope. I wanted something the kids couldn’t see through.
  4. A cover sheet (feel free to copy my simple template here: Oh, the places you’ll go cover sheet) explaining the project to each teacher.

I typed up a quick letter describing the project to the teachers. This saves me trying to explain the surprise in front of my children. Each letter is personalized with the child’s name. Then, I taped it to the front of a manila envelope and slipped the book inside.

 

My kids teachers have been so wonderful about writing such sweet messages that tell about their time with my child. Each one has a special story or message. I have to give a special shout out to Mrs. Kyzer (Kai’s Kindergarten teacher) who moved to Idaho last year. When I told her about this idea over e-mail she said, “We’ll make it happen”! Sure enough, it arrived in the mail 2 weeks ago with love. {HUGS TO IDAHO FROM THE JONESES}.

That’s all for now, it’s a pretty simple idea, that will become more meaningful with each year that passes. It makes me want to cry thinking about wrapping these up as a gift for High School graduation!

 

 

Dear 16 year old me…

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You will know why that is the title by the end of this post!

In 1923, French designer Coco Chanel made tanning an art form when she stepped off a yacht in Cannes. Bless her heart, she looked fabulous.

I think we can all unanimously agree that tan anything looks better than the pale version.

Before Ms. Chanel started the bronzing trend, pale was the height of chic from Europe to America. People used to go to extreme lengths (chalk and dyes) to make their skin look the fairest of them all. It is obviously a struggle for humankind to leave well enough alone! I propose we all take a step back and meet in the middle = embrace our natural skin color for the sake of our health.

Simple Facts: Skin cancer rates are soaring.

  • Since 1980, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers COMBINED!
  • One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 62 minutes).
  • Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old.
  • 1 out of every 4 children today will have some form of skin cancer in their lifetime.
  • One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than double a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.
  • A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns at any age

The ozone layer is getting thinner and our daily exposure to UV rays is mounting.

My Story: I tanned outside, I tanned in booths, I wore swimsuits with no sunblock while doing High School car washes. I believe at one point I looked like I was actually trying to change my ethnicity. Ricky Martin’s adorable face singing “skin the color mocha” only encouraged me more. They didn’t have a sign that read “INDOOR TANNERS ARE 74% MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP MELANOMA” the tanning salon doors.

Instead, I had my “Ah-Ha” (Thanks Oprah) moment when I saw a photo in a book of identical twins on their 50th birthday. One had lived in California, worshipped the sun and smoked. The other, lived in Kansas, never smoked and ate produce straight from her family farm. To my surprise- One looked like the mother, the other looked like her daughter! It was shocking to me that two people with the exact same genetics could look so vastly different due to lifestyle choices. I have now learned that up to 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun. Yikes!

I have now switched to organic spray-on tans whenever I need some color. My change of heart also kicked off an on-going game of “hide and go seek” with the sun. It has been 10 years since I last used a tanning booth or willingly went in the sun for an extended period of time. I wear facial sunscreen every single day. I wear hats. I stand in the shade. I also take a vitamin D supplement to make sure I am getting the one and only sun benefit (but from a bottle instead).

The little bit of color I have here is from an organic spray-on tan.

Two weeks ago- I went to a Dermatologist for a mole check.  I do tend to have a lot of moles & freckles so I expected for him to want to remove one or two. I did NOT have any that had changed size or shape (that I’d noticed). Still, he chose to remove FOUR for testing. Earlier this week I was called with the biopsy results: 2 of the 4 removed had abnormal cells.  Let me clarify that I am not freaking out or worried about Melanoma (right now) because these cells were caught early. I am just proud of myself for getting my moles checked. Believe me, it was at the bottom of my list for a long time… I had to make it a priority! PLEASE DO THE SAME- Make an appointment to get your moles checked!!!

To quote my new dermatologist,

“If it’s YOU vs. the SUN. The sun always wins”!

So now, my letter to 16 year old me:

Hey KK- Stop with the tanning booth, I know you feel oddly energized when you get out of there, but your skin being hot to the touch is NOT a good thing! You will regret it later- guaranteed. If you want to be around for your future (adorable) children, then stop with this silliness about a tan making you look better. You look GREAT. Your future husband will meet you when you weigh 15 more pounds and have no tan at all. Let it go. Oh, and be nicer to your mom! ;)   I love you. xoxo- Yourself at 32

If you’ve never seen this Youtube video titled “Dear 16 year old me”, please take 5 minutes to watch it. Then, one more minute to share this post with a 16 year old (or pretty close) you know & love.

5 Steps to Simply Good Easter

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If someone asked me “What’s your favorite thing about Easter”? My answer would be “Presley”. My second son, who is now 5 years old, is absolutely obsessed with all things Easter AND Bunnies. His 4th birthday party was an Easter Bunny theme on September 18th. Try finding those party supplies and favors in August! Online Party/Holiday printables to the rescue. :) Here is a picture from that day- complete with a carrot cake.

Since I have such bunny-lovers hopping around, I’ve developed quite the Easter spirit. Here are my 5 tips for a SIMPLY GOOD EASTER!

1. Be with Family. Honor old traditions or make new ones. Head to church or the park. Spend the day with the people you love and teach the next generation what life is all about.

2. Use the natural landscape and greenery to decorate. Our family almost always eats breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors. You can never go wrong with a flower centerpiece or small pots filled with grass and topped with a colored egg. You can usually achieve a “Pottery Barn look” by using nature in your tablescape. For more ideas, my friend Kim of the Tomkat Studio has 4+ pages filled with Easter inspiration. See it here: http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/?s=easter

Last year, the Easter Bunny used marshmallows to decorate and let each child know which basket was theirs.

3. Try a fun, new recipe {or cocktail}!

Frog Prince Paperie has some adorable carrot patch cupcakes: http://frogprincepaperie.com/2011/04/tutorial-carrot-patch-cupcakes.html

Love from the Oven created amazing desserts using the traditional Easter  PEEPS  :http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2012/03/12/peeps-brown-butter-chocolate-chip-crispy-treats/ AND http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2012/03/27/chocolate-marshmallow-cupcakes-with-frosting-creations/

Wants and Wishes gives a tutorial on how to make edible chocolate Easter baskets: http://wantsandwishesdesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/easter-party-edible-easter-basket.html

Bunnytail {as opposed to cocktail}: Try serving a Pink Bonnet or Blue Cottontail for a festive adult beverage!  Find the recipes here at Thoughtfullysimple.com: http://www.thoughtfullysimple.com/easter-cocktails-easter-themed-drinks/

4. Play. Hunt for eggs, have a catch, play left-right-center, or set up a Scavenger hunt with these printables from Tip Junkie: http://printable.tipjunkie.com/easter-basket-scavenger-hunt-printables/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TipJunkieAllSites+%28Tip+Junkie+%7E+Creative+Inspiration+%7BAll+Sites%7D%29&utm_content=FaceBook

5. Use free printables if you need a little extra decor or activity ideas. Here are a list of my favorites for 2012. Please remember to print responsibly (that means recycle)!

Print your party offers a cute “Bunny Tails” bag topper that would make a cute favor for kids at school or church: http://www.printyourparty.com/2012/03/bunny-tails-freebie/

Living Locurto has all kinds of fun easter printables and ideas: http://www.livinglocurto.com/

Catch My Party has assembled a collection of free Easter printables here: http://catchmyparty.com/printables

Preppy & Pink bunny tail print: http://preppyandpinknc.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-free-printable-friday.html

Hostess with the Mostess featured this adorable boys Easter birthday. I loved knowing that I wasn’t the only mom trying to plan an Easter birthday out of season! Check it out: http://blog.hwtm.com/2012/03/bright-colorful-easter-bunny-birthday-party/

At the end of Easter Sunday, let the kids wind down by renting HOP. It is a really cute movie that my sweet little guy and all of the other bunny-lovers out there will enjoy:

The 1st Simply Good Giveaway!

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It is no secret that my favorite grocer is hands-down Trader Joes. My iPhone shopping app lists TJ (Trader Joes) in front of almost every item. If he were a living person, TJ would be the other man in my life. It is only fitting that my first giveaway is of something I love so very much! My favorite Trader Joes products!!! {insert squeal}

I shop at Trader Joes weekly. On one of my recent trips, I told the store manager Anthony about my Simply Good Living blog & Facebook page. He was so kind. He told me that I am exactly the kind of publicity they want. A real mom who cares about what her family eats and LOVES their products.

 

He offered up a re-usable shopping ”gift” bag filled with some of the items I have mentioned on the Simply Good Living Facebook page and much, much more!!! Is this a SIMPLY GOOD GIVEAWAY or what?!

A great big THANK YOU to store #87 {North Scottsdale, Az} Captain Dekovan Gillespie, Managers Lindsay (pictured) and Anthony. These awesome folks allowed me to pick and choose my “favorite TJ things” to pass on to one very lucky winner!

I am feeling very Oprah-esque giving away a bag filled with my favorite things!!!

Here is what the lucky winner of the very first “Simply Good Giveaway” will receive:

  • A Trader Joes reusable grocery bag (made from 100% post consumer materials)
  • 1 package of delicious ready to bake Brownies. You don’t add a thing- just pour and bake!
  • Fat-free, Gluten-free Organic Lollipops in a variety pack.
  • Doggy Treats! Natural Peanut Butter flavor, contains no preservatives.
  • Everyone’s favorite Golden Round Crackers. Taste just like the familiar ones we grew up with, but with none of the artificial stuff or preservatives.
  • My kids favorite Trader Joes Macaroni and Cheese. This meal has no yellow food coloring. It gets it’s yellow color from the “Annatto Seed” instead.
  • Peanut Butter filled pretzels. This item must be one of their very best sellers. Everyone loves them! No preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.
  • “This strawberry walks into a bar” cereal bars. No hydrogenated oils, made with organic grains, delicious taste- what’s not to love?!
  • 10 pack instant coffee packets with cream and sugar. Ideal for keeping in your car, purse or for use while traveling. Just add hot water. These saved us during our stay at a cheap hotel with no coffee. The biggest problem: We only brought one box!
  • The super cool Sugar, Chocolate and Coffee Bean grinder. It’s just awesome.
  • 1 Preserve recycled toothbrush. This eco-friendly teeth cleaner was made from recycled yogurt cups. It gets better- after 3 month, you put it back in the pre-paid postage sleeve and drop it in the mail to be recycled AGAIN!!!
  • Trader Joe’s Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser. This is what I use every single day.
  • Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion SPF 15. Light, not greasy.
  • In honor of the upcoming Easter holiday… A Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny!

{Approximate Total Value: $40}

I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to each of you for joining me via e-mail subscription or Facebook. Reading my words may be a fleeting moment in your day, but they are typed with love and purpose. I hope to leave the world a better place than when I entered it. Spreading the Simply Good Living way to your own friends and family is what will make my dream come true. For that, I thank you.

See below for three different ways to enter. I am excited to see who will win this wonderful gift bag filled with my favorite Trader Joes things. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

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What’s up with Organic Clothing?

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Maybe Right Said Fred knew back in 1991 that he was too sexy for his shirt because it was not organic. Did we ever consider that possibility? He was a visionary & we didn’t even know it. I am sure his fishnet tank was very eco-friendly.

Baby #3

A few years ago, when I was expecting my 3rd baby, I received two organic onesies as gifts. At the time, organic clothing had been in boutiques and hippy-shops for a while, but were beginning to appear in upscale stores as well. I admit, I knew nothing about it. I just knew that these sweet little onesies were very soft and I couldn’t wait to wrap my little baby up in them!

So let me bring you up to speed on what I’ve learned: The ‘organic’ label applies to natural products that have been produced and harvested without artificial fertilizers, pesticides, GMO seeds or hormones. Organic fabrics are the same – the raw materials have been grown without chemicals. This is better for the environment, and better for people.

The way farmers grow their organic cotton is through traditional, holistic practices, like back in the early days. Their yields are not as great as with newer methods, but the payoffs are enormous. They use a crop rotation in their field, which helps the need to not use pesticides. With non-organic fabrics, loads more chemicals are used in processing. Here is how it’s done:

1. A series of chemicals are used to soften the fibers.

2. They are stripped of their waxy texture.

3. They are bleached white.

{Further chemicals are then used to dye the cotton and fix the dyes – a total of 8,000 different chemicals can go into the making of a t-shirt.}

Organic cotton has some competition as a sustainable and ethical fabric, notably from hemp and bamboo. Both plants grow very fast and can be grown on marginal land, and provide highly versatile fibres, although neither are grown on the scale of cotton. These are great alternatives people with skin sensitivity issues and allergies.

[WRAP UP] Do I buy organic clothing for myself or my kids? The truth: Not yet. I am too much of a hoarder and have enough clothes for all of us for the next several years. However, I will be sure to give organic clothing as baby gifts because I loved snuggling my baby in chemical-free clothing so much! The purpose of this post is to educate. I also encourage you to consider a new purchase next time Zulilly.com or some other wonderfully addicting site offers a great deal on organic clothing.  If you ever find yourself in a cute, little boutique- try rubbing an organic shirt against your cheek, it’s worth it!

“Sweet Sixty” Birthday Party!

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The Birthday Girl!

I am not exaggerating when I say that my mother-in-law, Diane, has more energy than 97% of the people I know. This statistic includes myself. This lady runs like the energizer bunny and flawlessly keeps up with her six grandchildren like she is a teenager. That is why, when it came time for her 60th birthday, I knew it simply could not be a typical “over the hill” celebration. This party needed to be just like her- YOUTHFUL, LIVELY and FUN!

 

 

She already knew we were going to throw her a party, but I wanted her to be surprised when she walked in and saw everything. Weeks before the party, I simply asked her what her favorite color was and to list her favorite foods and drinks.

Oh my. This lady not only has the energy of a teenager- she eats like one too! It’s ironic she is my MIL because her favorite treats go against everything I believe in (no partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, HFCS, etc.). See for yourself:

Dee's Favorite Treats

The theme pretty much chose itself….

                SWEET SIXTY (get it?! Instead of Sweet 16)

Invitation design by: Cutie Patootie Creations on Etsy

I had the invitation printed on 130lb. Recycled card stock through Snapfish. I made even MORE use of the recycling process by putting a picture of Diane at age 16 on the back with a request: Guests were to bring the invitation with them to the party & write a favorite story or memory with Diane. The returned invites were all displayed  hanging from a ribbon with mini clothespins & have now been bound into a memory flip-book. I double-cycled (that’s a new word I am working on).  I tried to post several more photos within this post, but it wouldn’t let me. I think I’ll do a Facebook album with the rest of the pics. Happy Birthday Dee!!!

All photos by Serena at Capture It All photography

 

She is loved by many!