ManiMina
March 25, 2009 by Lauren · 8 Comments
I know it’s a little early, but I can’t help it - I’m packing away the turtlenecks! The lovely warm days we’ve been enjoying have me a bit over-enthused to shed our winter warms and welcome in spring. Which also means it’s time to shop, and top on my list is Easter attire!
Ties for the boys, a new skirt for me, and an “oh-my-she’s-stunning” dress for my daughter. I head straight to my favorite Etsy find, Manimina. As usual, her collection has me drooling.
Who says exquisite style has to be expensive? Everything she sells is under $25, including this “Mango” dress which woos me with it’s colors. The soft neckline, flowing fabric, and simple bow place this dress firmly on my wishlist.
I also love finding girly frocks that incorporate the blooms of spring, without being overly floral. The “Pink Bloom” dress is perfect – blooming with style!
It’s also fun to think outside the box a little when it comes to traditional dress-up holidays. I’m tempted to pair this Whimsical Kimono with a simple white skirt and some fabulous sandals. The Japanese designer fabric down the middle has just enough Easter flower-power, yet remains tres chic!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Earthy Mama Chic
March 11, 2009 by Lauren · 7 Comments
These days, to be hip, you have to be Green. Going organic is not only better for the earth, it’s better for you! And even more importantly, it’s better for your baby. The chemicals used in growing and processing conventional cotton are harsh on a little one’s skin, bad to breathe, and dangerous to ingest. Good thing eco-friendly mama-gear is widely available, and super fashionable! Here are three of my favorites:
By far the best mama-invention to come along is the Nursing Cover, which now comes in beautiful organic patterns from The Undercover Baby. I particularly love clever features like the flexible neckline (so you can easily peek in on baby) and an adjustable buckle, for comfort.
Why go through box after box of the scratchy white ones? These washable organic nursing pads are not only cute, they’re gentle on both you and the environment. I think the pirate pattern is too cool!
If I could, I’d do nothing but cuddle my baby all day long. However, since I have two other children who also need my attention (not to mention the cooking and cleaning!) I love the hands-free closeness I can give him with a sling. The organic line at Hot Slings looks especially soft and snuggly!
Each of these companies works hard to ensure the finest quality and workmanship, while also staying conscientious of Mother Earth. Isn’t it refreshing to find baby gear that is both savvy and stylish?
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Shrinky Sheets
February 27, 2009 by Lauren · 19 Comments
Any self-respecting child of the 80’s should get a little giddy when they read these next two words:
Shrinky Dinks!
Oh, was there a cooler invention on the planet when you were a kid? You color them, you cut them out, you BAKE them! Artwork was never more fun! Except now it IS and here’s why:
I’ve discovered do-it-yourself BLANK shrinky-dink sheets that will go through your printer! Is anybody else getting slightly light-headed with the creative possibilities that lie in store?
- Print your or your children’s artwork off and turn it into home décor!
- Have hours of fun with your kids making and baking their favorite characters.
- Print your photos off on them and make “mini-me”s out of your relatives and friends.
- Design, print and then create your own embellishments for scrapbooks, note cards, present tops, etc.
- Add a little hole punch before you throw ‘em in the oven and string them up into unique necklaces, earrings, bracelets, backpack tags, gift tags, etc.
- Once made, glue them to rings, headbands, notebooks, magnets, keychains, etc.
Enough said! They’re now called Shrinky Sheets (I’m still partial to “dinks” myself but what are ya gonna do?) and you can hook yourself up for a mere twelve bucks over at The Curiosity Shoppe. And just so you know, it’s required that you rock out to Madonna and/or Bruce Springsteen while working on this GNARLY project.
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Martha Stewart Craft Kits
February 9, 2009 by Lauren · 9 Comments
Confession: I waste an embarrassing amount of time wandering around the local Super Walmart. (blush!) In my defense, it’s a very big, somewhat disorganized place that tends to require some serious browsing in order to find what you need. And lately, as I’ve meandered through the aisles, I’ve stumbled onto great little finds! By far my favorite discovery has been the Martha Stewart Crafts section.
There you will find a gorgeous array of crafting treasures! And while they do offer great “Martha” style supplies and tools, I gravitated straight towards the fun little kits. Have you ever watched her show and thought “Well, sure, she can do it, but she’s Martha. There’s no way I could create beautiful floating flowers out of some tissue paper and couple pieces of string.” Oh but you can!
I made these a couple weeks ago, in preparation for my little girl’s upcoming birthday party (flower themed!). They were quick, easy and turned out looking just like the picture!
In fact, I was feeling so good about Martha’s Walmart crafts that a few days later I tried my hand at this fun birthday garland. Again, I was amazed at the lovely simplicity of the project. These kits are well thought out and user-friendly. My little ones even helped here and there!
Last on my “Birthday Party” prep list are the favors, and I have a feeling I will be turning to the Martha Stewart Craft Kits again. This time I think we’re going to have these darling little boxes hold a sweet treat and a flower necklace or two. I know all these lovely accents might not mean much to our 3 yr. old guests, but their mommies will be in attendance too!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Valentine’s Recipes
January 30, 2009 by Lauren · 9 Comments
Whether you share your Valentine’s Day dinner with friends, family, or one special someone, these recipes are sure to send a message of love!
Red Berry Spinach Salad
We’ll start with a simple Spinach Salad, adorned with red raspberries, cranberries or strawberries (that little hint of pink is romantic, don’t you think?). For an added touch, sprinkle slivered almonds on top and drizzle your loved one’s favorite dressing in the shape of a heart!
{Photo by mellowfood}
For sides, put a fun Valentine’s spin on a couple of classics:
Pink Mashed Potatoes
Add a couple of diced beets into a pot with 4 diced potatoes, boil til soft, drain, smoosh, throw in 1 tbsp of butter, a dash of milk and you’ve got Valentine’s Mashed Potatoes! (If you don’t like beets, just put in several drops of red food dye).
{Photo by Olga}
Heart-Shaped Rolls
Buy ready-made crescent rolls dough from the store, stretch them out a bit to fit a heart-shaped cookie cutter, spread them with butter and sprinkle on a pinch of Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder. Bake as directed and serve up Heart-Shaped Herb Rolls.
{Photo by: ©iStockphoto.com/Maria Zhuravleva, Recipe by TasteofHome}
Incredibly Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf
And as a main course, gourmet meatloaf, Valentine’s Style! This recipe is simple, impressive, and oh-so delish. (Found on AllRecipes.com - I actually halved the recipe so that it would fit in my pan.)
{Photo by: ©iStockphoto.com/Darren Fisher}
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 pound colby cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup ketchup (optional)
In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, ketchup and eggs by hand (my two-year-old loved getting in on this action!). Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan (or, in this case, a heart-shaped cake pan). Bake 1 hour in 400 degree oven.
My husband actually said “Wow.” when I served this up. And for some reason, my kiddos were willing to eat the heart-shaped meatloaf they had turned down a couple weeks ago when it was rectangular!
Raspberry Linzer Heart Cookies
Then, after you have dined and Valentined the evening away, you present your loved ones with a plate of these:
(Sigh) Aren’t they beautiful?
I got this recipe from Mary Engelbreit’s Cookies Cookbook, have made them several times over the last few years and they never, ever fail to stun their recipients! Be warned - they are delicate little things, so you’ll want to proceed carefully in this recipe because we all know beauty takes time!
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus a little extra for dusting
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
Finely grind together walnuts and almonds in a food processor. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks. Gradually add in the flour and cornstarch, just until incorporated. Blend in ground nuts.
Divide dough into 4 pieces, shape each into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refridgerate for 4 hours.
On a floured surface, roll out dough one piece at a time until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out as many hearts as you can with the dough provided and transfer them to a greased cookie sheet. On half of those, punch out a smaller heart in the center and remove carefully with a knife. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely. Dust cut-out hearts with confectioners’ sugar. Spread a rounded tsp. of jam onto plain heart cookie bottoms, and cover with the cutout heart tops.
No matter who you sit down to the table with this coming Valentine’s Day (be it your 8 darling children or a mysterious Latin lover), show them how much you love them with these foods from the heart!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Dress The Part This Valentine’s Day
January 23, 2009 by Lauren · 10 Comments
To do Valentine’s Day up right, you’ve got to Dress the part! It’s the one day of the year where even the toughest chick can get a little girly with all the fun, flirty fashions.
For your littlest sweeties, the Queen of Hearts stripey bellbottoms by Damestarbaby are guaranteed charmers. (Confession – I’ve had my eye on these pants for almost a year!)
Grown-up gals can send the right Valentine’s message with a “Single” or “Taken” heart hair clip from the Details Shop.
Pair this pretty Peggy Sue handbag with any outfit for a touch of romance (not to mention super-cool style!). Found at Handsfull Creations.
Plus, I’ve got great news for all you preggo mamas – Shabby Apple just came out with a line of maternity dresses to die for! Their Virgin Strawberry Daquiri or Better Than Sweets would be perfect for a romantic Valentine’s night, whether you’re going out or staying in!
And speaking of staying in, next Friday I’ll be taking you course by course through a Valentine’s Day dinner sure to please your entire family (or just that special someone!). Until then, enjoy this loving time of year!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Valentine’s Day Delights ~ Part One *Decorating*
January 16, 2009 by Lauren · 10 Comments
For me, Valentine’s Day is like a friendly little life-preserver in the middle of the long winter. After the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, I find myself unwilling to let go of that cheerful holiday spirit! The charm of Valentine’s and the idea of dedicating a whole day to expressing love to others keeps my heart warm during these coldest winter months.
Which is why I’d like to focus my next few contributions here at Little Window Shoppe on the 3 D’s of Valentine’s Day Delights – Decorating, Dressing and Dining!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve just finished packing up all the Christmas decor and the house may be looking a little empty. But all the “merry making” usually leaves me a little cash-poor in January so I’ve come up with clever ways to make my Christmas decor do double duty! These fun ideas are easy, inexpensive and will definitely spread some Valentine’s cheer.
Candle Bling
A quick and cute way to dress up some plain candles (maybe leftover from the holidays?) is to press thumbtacks or brads in them! You can go with the basic red dots (less than a buck at Walmart) or hit the craft store and get creative!
The Year-Round Candy Jar
You’d be amazed at how far you can go with a clear jar w/ red lid from the dollar store! All you have to do to change the look is fill it with seasonal candy and hang an ornament from the lid. Come summertime, this same jar will be all decked out for the 4th of July. During Autumn I tie an orange and yellow ribbon around it to bring out the fall colors. At Christmastime it looks quite merry full of holiday treats and “decked” with holly.
Garlands of Hearts
With just some construction paper, scrapbook sheets and ribbon, you can add a sweet Valentine’s touch to any spot in your home. I selected several different kinds of scrap-booking paper which incorporated the colors of my home, and cut out hearts about 8 inches wide, 5 inches high. After gluing them onto white construction paper, I cut about an inch outside of the hearts to create the white border. Then I hot glued them onto red ribbon saved from our holiday gifts! You can hang them separately throughout your home, or glue several onto one ribbon to make a Valentine’s garland just perfect for windows, doorways, fireplaces, etc.
Hope these ideas bring a little extra love into your home! Next Friday I’ll be showing off great picks to help you dress to impress on Valentine’s Day. See you then!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
A Very Green Christmas
December 12, 2008 by Lauren · 6 Comments
Going eco-friendly this holiday season is not only smart and savvy, it’s totally hip! These next shoppes have everything you’ll need to celebrate a very Green Christmas:
Adorn your gifts with these beautiful Upcycled Gift Bows made, from hand-crafted with high quality matte catalog paper, and found at Pretty Little Things.
Let Santa stuff one of these Tiny Upcycled Stockings, sewn by Wonders in a funky patchwork pattern from t-shirt pieces.
Send out a little love to Mother Earth with these Plantable Mini Tags and Notecards from Claudia’s Creations. They’re made with recycled paper, embedded with wildflower seeds and – the Christmas card that keeps on giving!
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
Homemade Ribbon Ornaments
December 5, 2008 by Lauren · 5 Comments
These ribbon ornaments were inspired by some lovely Christmas ornaments I saw in a catalog. I knew I could either afford to buy two, or make ten! And the fun part is, you can decide what colors and patterns to use, tailoring them perfectly to your decorating style.
The supply list is super simple:
- Medium sized Styrofoam balls
- 3 ½ yards of your favorite ribbon (1/2 inch width works best for me), preferably in 3-4 prints
- 10 inches of ricrac
- Hot glue gun
Cut your ribbon in 10 inch strips – you’ll need 12 strips. For the ornament picture I chose to use 4 strips of 3 different prints. Place a small dot of glue on the end of the ribbon and press it on to the ball. Wrap it around so you form a tight loop around the ball, then glue the other end on. Trim the edges as necessary.
Take a ribbon of the same print and do the same glue-wrap-glue process, criss-crossing the first ribbon (see the picture). Always glue your ends to the top of the ball at the same spot.
Attach the ricrac as a loop at the top of your ball so you can easily adorn your tree with these charming, homemade Christmas ornaments!
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
Crushin’ on Gorgeous Wall Décor
November 14, 2008 by Lauren · 8 Comments
Want to know a little secret about me?
I cannot bear bare walls!
They taunt me like a blank canvas just begging to be covered with creativity. Which is why I’m crushin’ big time on all the gorgeous vinyl wall décor available on Etsy. My wishlist is quite long, but here are the highlights:
With winter on its way, I’m hoping to bring Mother Nature indoors a bit with this Autumn Tree from Decorette, complete with delicately falling leaves.
These Whispy Willows from Scribble It would brighten up any little spot!
And I was totally charmed by this unique spin on the Family Tree from Elephannie.
How do you like to decorate your walls?
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
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