my daffodils were gorgeous for one week, but they have now withered away.

their fade has brought little sprouts from my indoor burpee greenhouse.  stay tuned for my first experience with growing flowers, herbs and vegetables from seed. 

chocolate covered cheerios.

recently, i've read several posts (here and i can't recall) regarding jaques torres chocolate covered cherrios.  since this american staple is a breakfast and snack fixture in my house, i just had to take the plunge and make some of my own.  while they are not has beautiful as the confectioner's rendition, they are quite tasty and very easy to make and modify. 

what i did: 

1. melted semi-sweet chocolate chips in a glass bowl over a double-boiler
2. poured in a bunch of cheerios and stirred until all of the melted chocolate was covering a cheerio (so to waste no chocolate!)
3. this is tedious part. using a fork, i placed the chocolate covered cheerios onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet in small forkfuls making sure that each cherrio lay flat.  
4. then, i sprinkled some organic, medium shred, unsweetened coconut onto 1/2 of the batch and pearlized sugar onto the other half.
5. i placed the cookie sheet into the refrigerator until the chocolate was hard.
6. lastly, i snapped the cherrios into tiny clusters or individual pieces.
7. and...i've been eating them ever since!

topping ideas:

coconut

pearlized sugar

cocoa powder

ground nuts

sprinkles

white chocolate drizzle

dried orange zest

i think what makes these tasty morsels so appealing is that the cheerio is only slightly sweet with a hearty oat flavor that truly complements the chocolate.

try them!

wine bottle decor...

you may remember my cardboard st. patrick's day decor.

with two minor changes, i transformed each bottle into mini Easter trees. 

i simply removed the cardboard shamrocks and hung a few foam Easter eggs on each tree.  the materials are only the three bottles, three stems of plastic pussy willow, and the eggs.  i used things already on hand since my goal was to create something for nothing. 

i love the way light reflects through green glass. 

how about you...any unique ways you re-purpose your wine bottles?

30 Mom Essentials: Part 1

Here are a few things that have been key essentials throughout these first 20 months of motherhood.  If you are just embarking on your mommy journey, perhaps these items will be useful for you too!  If not, please share your own mommy necessity(ies) and add to this growing list. 

the kiddopatomus swaddleme.  perfect for swaddling newbies and fiesty kiddos who squirm their way out.  

 the kiddopotamus bibbity.  the scoop says it all.  reuseable, easy-to-clean, and perfect for travel.  used at least three times/day in my household.

the kiddopotamus tinydiner.  again with the scoop, reuseable, easy-to-clean, and perfect for travel. 

clearly i'm a fan of all things kiddopotamus.  their items are eco-conscious, non-toxic, and made in the usa.  for me, they just work.

happybaby puffs.  healthy, tasty, melt-in-your-mouth baby snacks.  my kiddo dined on these suckers from 5.5 months to around 14 months for regular snacks.  even now, if presented with them, he will gobble them up.  in addition, the containers are perfect for storing tiny toys, crayons, etc.  see here for how i use them.

the original snacktrap.  really, they work.  plus, they give my kiddo the independence that he so desperately seeks; he gets to be in charge of his snacks and no worries about spills.

say yes to baby carrots.  these products are free of harmful, potentially skin-irritating ingredients such as parabens and sodium lauryl sulfates, smell delightful (better than other natural brands in my opinion), and are made in the usa.  i love that the shampoo and body wash is a foam...one bottle lasts forever.  recently, target had on-the-bottle coupons for by one get one 1/2 off.

 me and the kiddo, approx. 7 weeks old

hotslings, baby sling. while i could devote an entire post to the sling because their are so many styles and brands (which i may still do someday), i want to share the one i used daily when my kiddo was an infant and out-and-about until he was big enough to squirm out (around 14-15 months).  if you are not already a fan, don't be indimitated by the sling, believe me it is your friend. 

these are just a few of the items that are proven essentials in my journey as a mom.

t-shirt necklace tutorial

I've been really obsessed with recycled t-shirt yarn lately.  I think these necklaces will be fun accessories for spring/summer. 

They are really easy to make.  

First, I cut out the flower pattern. Using my amazingly precise Cutter Bee scissors and a petal stencil that I cut from card stock.

Second, I folded the edge of the petals over and pulled each one through a piece of strong thread.  After the last petal is threaded; then, I pull the thread through the first petal and pull both sides tightly to create the flower. 

Then, I secured a small button in the center of the flower with the hot glue gun. 

 Next, using the largest crochet needle I have (can't remember the letter), I chained 38, skipped three for the first double crochet, then double crochet 35.  I tied off the end into a little loop, stitched a button onto the other end, and weaved the ends into the necklace.

Then, I hot glued on the flower.  When I'm not feeling lazy, I usually stitch the flower on the necklace.

What makes these necklaces so versatile is that they can be made longer by simply making the chain longer or thiner by using a single or half crochet.  I plan on making some other variations using vintage jewelry and pins.  You can also see these necklaces here and here.

basement bathroom after, finally!

a looong time ago, i posted the basement bathroom before. 

but, before i could make the big REVEAL,

i had to complete my list:

1. Find a mirror. Purchased at Home Goods for $29.99

2. Sew panel to target shower curtains to add 6" in length and hang to camouflage the shower. Used two curtain panels from Target that were on clearance for $9.88; made bows and pull backs from fabric on hand

3. Find cabinet/shelves to hang above toilet. Used two wall boxes from a thrift store purchased for $2.81 and one piece of wall art purchased at a consignment shop for $8.00

4. Find basket for towels and TP next to the vanity. Still need to find...
5. Hang recently thrifted wall art. Hung circle wall art from Good Will purchased for $4.00

Overall, we painted the walls, replaced the light fixture, replaced the vanity, faucet, and replaced the wall fixtures.  We also replaced the linoleum floor with ceramic tile. Using materials that we already had one hand, discount purchases from Lowe's, thrift store finds, as well as a little DIY tender loving care, we were able to keep the cost around $400. 

We're so excited to have a nice, new bathroom to enjoy our in our basement multi-purpose room and playroom.  Someday, I will post our complete basement pictures as soon as it looks "picture perfect"!

great day st. louis!

If you are in the st. louis area, tune in to channel 4 at 10am to see me talk about this post.  If not, check it out live here.

If you are interested in downloading the pictures from the show and my playroom, you can find them in the left sidebar under FROM THE30GIRL.  If you would like to contact me to discuss custom designs for your playroom, nursery or child's room, please email Katie at the30life (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Thanks for watching and Happy Monday!!!

an easter egg wreath

the plastic Easter egg is one of the holiday's quintessential novelties.  here is a fun way to incorporate them into your Easter decor that can be reused from year-to-year. 

Supplies

one 12 inch diameter foam wreath

white cotton yarn or fabric strips

pearl top or round top sewing pins

plastic eggs

How To

First, cover your wreath with the yarn or fabric in this fashion in order to avoid the foam from peeking through.

Then, start placing your eggs one-by-one using the plastic eggs and pins.  Most plastic egg varieties have small holes at the bottom.  The holes fit the pin, but not the pearl tops.  

After placing the eggs all the way around and doing a little tweaking here and there, it's finished.  I placed a small piece of ribbon on the back with a pin for hanging. 

Perhaps, I should place a chocolate bunny in each egg...