A Mom Who Had Time to Play

I hope my child looks back on today,
and remembers a mom who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and cooking,
But children grow up when we are not looking.
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
‘Cuz babies grow fast, we learn to our sorrow.
So settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I’m cuddling my baby, and babies don’t keep.

A poem similar to this one was stitched by my mom on a lovely cross stitch and hung in our home growing up. It’s a beautiful reminder of the one, most important thing we should do each day: pay attention to our children. I say this because I too often forget the treasured moments that are passing me by as I fuss over something that doesn’t really matter. So today, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow.

TCBY of Grenwood Village

TCB…Why? Well, let me tell you!

 

The Country’s Best Yogurt…if mention of it brings feelings
of nostalgia, you’re not alone. I’ve been an avid fan of ice cream since I can
remember – bubble gum flavor “topping” the charts during my youth, and with
tastes gaining in sophistication over the years, my passion has melted into a
love torn between blends of light and fruity and delectable rich, heavy flavors,
thick with assorted candy bar.

Ok, so I’m a true fan of this frozen, sweet deliciousness.
So, here’s the good news…I can still have my guilty indulgence and feel good
too! Yep, this yogurt stuff is amazing! All the flavor and none of the
guilt…ok, until I get to the topping section…but that’s my personal issue
because they have plenty of healthy topping choices.

TCBY frozen yogurt plus all the toppings you could
dream of to create a masterpiece of your very own – it’s wonderful. Forget the
days of choosing a set recipe from the menu (boring) and hello to unlimited
creativity, but if you’re not comfortable making those types of decisions,
there are three lovely flat-screened TVs at this Greenwood Village location…one
of which scrolls through a list of no-risk recipes…but, if you do this you’ll
never know what white chocolate mouse yogurt/dash of cake batter yogurt topped
with gummy bears, Fruity Pebbles, Snickers and slopped all over with hot fudge
tastes like (recipe by Noelle.)

A lesson in creativity to spark the mind of a child or a
reward for well-behaved children…just two of the strategies (aka: excuses) we
use as parents to find our way to yogurt rewards! Oh, and this specific TCBY
location has gone the extra mile to be truly family friendly with high chair and
sling accommodations as well as diaper changers in *both bathrooms, hooray for
this modern-day realization in parenting!

Check out the urban ambiance of this stylish frozen yogurt
joint – 100% kid- and parent-friendly too, yum! You will likely have the chance
to meet one of the local owners, who not only hands-on run this business but
are well-versed in parenthood too! Gotta love family run, locally owned,
nationally valued frozen favorites!

So just one request…bubble gum yogurt, please!

Find TCBY of Greenwood Village on FB!

Beaver Creek Summer Vacation

Destination…Beaver Creek, Colorado!

Ahhhh, a restful vacation in Beaver Creek – filled with ongoing excitement that is! What is there to do in Beaver Creek in the summertime? Well, let me tell you…

Mutton bustin’ at the Rodeo at Tracer Creek, jeep exploration with High Mountain Adventure Tours, BBQ lunch on the mountain at Saddle Ranch, a wagon ride to the base of Larkspur Bowl for a fabulous gourmet dinner at Beanos Cabin, skating the Black Family Ice-Rink in the center of the village (yep, even in the summertime), swimming, s’mores and restful nights at The Charter…oh, and don’t forget savoring warm chocolate chip cookies at the base of the mountain, 3:00 p.m. daily, served on a silver platter by chefs in white hats…part of the “not exactly roughing it.”

Our Beaver Creek family vacation was the highlight of our summer!

~ Chocolate Chip Memories ~

Could be the chip that stole my family’s heart? There’s something heartwarming, mouth-watering and utterly comforting in the air at the majestic Beaver Creek…and I don’t think it’s just the fragrant aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

Our winter ski vacation at Bear Claw was amazing and left us longing to go back. Memories of making our way down slopes just in time for the perfect ooey gooey indulgence to get us through our last run of the day…we knew we’d return…what we weren’t expecting was to have that opportunity just a few months later!

Beaver Creek, Summertime
It was a sight to behold. Noelle had packed her ski gear (which her mom unpacked twice!) because she couldn’t imagine the slopes any other way than blanked with mounds of white powder and she wasn’t about to miss out on epic skiing! The rest of us understood pretty well that we’d have to choose a different kind of adventure this season, but I do think we were all rather surprised (and impressed) at how much there was to do…and at how much fun we had doing it!

We played the game of finding our favorite ski runs and trying to remember back to what they looked like in the wintertime. Silas was impressed that there was a full mini golf course right where he had stood in line to get on the chair lift…with a snowboard! Everything was much the same but really quite different. I hadn’t appreciated the actual Beaver *Creek* until we took a walk along the quaint trail along side it in the summer time…which is a funny story because — I LOVE the free shuttle service in Beaver Creek — and I use it often when staying there. In the winter, it just makes sense – mounds of snow, loads of gear and enough ice to slow a walking pace to a crawl. In the summer, well, I really don’t want to admit how long it took me to realize this, BUT if you stay in mountain lodging (such as the Charter), um, you can just walk out your back door. The trail system is beautiful and fabulous, and goes directly to the village with parks and playplaces along the way.

So, when you call for the shuttle and the dispatcher tells you the wait might be 10-15 minutes because they’re a bit behind schedule…but politely suggests the *brilliant* option of walking (because it takes about four minutes)…give it a try! #BecomingInfamousInBeaverCreek

Further details on “What to do in Beaver Creek?” coming soon!

Photo journals of Beaver Creek Winter Fun and our summer memories: Horsing Around ~ Beaver Creek.

How to Name a Baby

You don’t have to be in the market for a baby name to find this entertaining! Check out how your kids’ names are coming in on the charts this year and baby names that are trending for 2011.

And… if anyone asks, you’ll know how to name a baby 😉 http://wineglasslipper.com/?p=127

Craft for Kids!

Backpacks, #2 pencils, washable markers and hand sanitizer. It’s that time of year again – back to school –where our children will be taught to share freely with others…a lesson they will carry out quite well…when it comes to GERMS.

Clean hands are a first step in stopping the spread of germs. A good lather with soap for a full 20 seconds (try singing happy birthday or ABC’s) followed by a warm rinse is the best prevention. Alcohol-based hand rubs are also effective and come in sizes and scents to fit almost anyone’s fancy. We love the Bath & Body Works collection at our house and their mini sanitizer can be hooked to a diaper bag or purse with a lovely, colorful gel holder.

Another motivation for hand washing might be a special soap. A friend of mine uses a liquid soap pump with a hand stamp at the top so that when the dispenser is pressed, one hand is marked with the stamp. The idea is to lather until the stamp disappears – it makes hand washing a whole lot more fun.

We’ve gotten pretty good at the lather and rinse at our house (the soap mess is a battle I’m not choosing – for now) but the dry was becoming a real problem…and the hand towel was at the center of it all…Who did it belong to? Why was it wet? Who had muddy hands? Who left it on the ground? Who wiped the toilet seat with it (seriously?)???

And my concern…Why doesn’t it come clean when I wash it? (I still don’t have the answer to that one!)

So, we came up with a fun solution that seems to be working so far, yay! It’s inexpensive, full of sentiment and, of course, super fun to make.

No-Sew Handprint Hand Towel

1. Find an inexpensive, cute hand towel for each child (we scored ours at the
   dollar store!).
2. Use a scrap of fabric or an old shirt/dress to trace your child’s handprint.
3. Using double-sided fuse (you’ll find it in the craft section), iron the handprint to one side as directed.
4. Cut the hand out with fuse attached…or let your child do the cutting if they can!
5. Fuse the handprint to the hand towel according to the fuse instructions…usually just a few seconds with a warm iron.

Easy as that! These adorable hand towels are not only encouraging for germ-free hands but super cute and a great keepsake too! I’ve noticed my children taking special care of theirs – no more towels draped over the open toilet seat now that they have ownership in the deal, ha.