Fabulous Finds Craft and Recipe Round-Up: Valentine's Edition!!!

♥Get ready for the absolute CUTEST crafts and recipes you'll ever see from all over the web, all in honor of the day of love♥

This is my first edition of the Fabulous Finds Craft and Recipe Round-Up: Valentine's Edition!!! I wish my little girls had the attention span to make all of these with me, because I seriously want to make them ALL. Just click on the links to go straight to the tutorials and find out how to make them yourself!

Here we go. . .

♥These Brookie Bites are way too cute to eat! I'm dying over these!

They're called Brookie Bites because it's a cookie inside a brownie bite (genius, I say!), but I think I need to make some in honor of my own little baby Brookie.

♥How beautiful are these Crayon Hearts? It's a nice, fresh take on the classic iron-crayons-in-wax-paper art project.

♥I wish I had snow in my front yard right now! If I did, I'd definitely be making this adorable Valentine's Snowman. But since a lot of you around the country are enjoying some snow, go build one!

♥This is just about the easiest thing ever! Download these Valentine Fruit Stickers for free and add some love to the fruit you're packing in school lunches!

♥LOVING these Candy Cane Heart Suckers. I must make them!

♥I've seen a lot of different Valentine wreath ideas on blogs and magazines. This one is definitely my fave! If only I could figure out where to buy a cranberry wreath for the base. . .

♥Marshmallow love bugs! I think my kids would gobble these up long before they ever looked this cute, but I still love the idea!

♥Such an easy little tweak packs some serious cuteness factor. Who could say no to Valentine Pizza?

♥My kids love pretty much anything involving pom poms, so maybe they'd actually sit still to make this Valentine window garland.

♥Gumball necklaces! Every little girl's dream!

♥This has got to be the cutest craft involving doilies I've ever seen. And so simple and cheap to make! We're so making these hearts on a string!

♥Another awesome free printable! You could make cookie cartons or paste them onto anything else!

♥This is such a perfect love day snack. . . Valentine Confetti!

♥And these Cupid's Cups would make an awesome dessert!

♥Neapolitan Cupcakes. Gorgeous!!!

Are you feeling inspired??? I know I am!

Please let me know how you like my Craft and Recipe Round-up, and if it's popular I'll do more of these in the future! All these ideas are just too adorable not to share!!!

Happy ♥ day!

Fun Finds: Toddler Essentials Super-Giveaway!!!

If you have toddlers, preschoolers, or babies, you're going to love these awesome products I'm reviewing! And all of these companies are offering giveaways too, so this giveaway will have four different winners! All four products have been fully tested by me with my seal of approval. :)

#1~ TruKid All-Natural Hair Products for kids!
This company has a GREAT line of products for kids' hair and bodies, and I got to review the Silly Shampoo, Cool Conditioner, and Dancing Detangler.

Why these are awesome products:
~They're all-natural and biodegradeable!
~The scent is GREAT. The problem I have with many all-natural or organic products is that they smell like weeds or herbs with a strong, terrible scent. The TruKid products are all lightly scented with their citrus essential oil blend and it smells yummy! It's a very kid-friendly scent and makes their hair smell so good afterward.
~The colors of their packaging are so fun, it gets kids excited to use them!
~They work really well. The shampoo and conditioner make the kids' hair really shiny, and the detangler is a great, non-sticky way to make wet hair easier to comb through.

This giveaway is for a whole set of the three TruKid hair products, just like the one I reviewed!

#2~ The Little Looster!

This is such an awesome stool to use for potty training. It fits around the toilet and lets kids rest their legs on it while they're learning to use it. Even if your little ones are already potty-trained, it's a really good replacement for the little step-stool you probably already own.

Why you'll like the Little Looster:
~It never needs to be moved around the bathroom. It just stays in one spot.
~It's comfortable for little kids to use.
~Because it's such a sturdy place for them to put their legs and feet, kids don't get scared about falling in or feeling insecure.
~Since it's white, it matches with any bathroom decor just fine.

I received this soon after I started potty training Kirsten, and I really noticed a difference in how secure she felt. It's far superior to any other potty stool I've ever seen!
At $39.99, I think the price is a little steep if you've never tried it before. So enter to win one here and try it out for yourself!

#3~ The Innobaby Packin' Smart Stack 'N Seal!
I have tried a whole lot of different traveling container options (since you have to have snacks with you at ALL times when you have babies and toddlers!), and this is one of my very favorites I've tried!

Why you'll love the Stack 'N Seal:
~I always like taking a whole variety of snacks with me (raisins, crackers, fruit snacks, etc.) but with all those little containers floating around in your diaper bag it's always so hard to find them! This container has four different tiers that all stack together, so you can take four different snacks with you and have them all in the same place! No more rummaging around your bag looking for the snacks!
~The design is very space-conscious, since it's long and tall. It won't take up a ton of space in your diaper bag.
~It's really easy to fit the tiers together or take them apart. You just twist them, and they seal up!
~Each container comes with a dispensing lid, and you can use them to store both dry and liquid foods. You can also use the tiers to store powdered formula, freeing up even more space in your bag!
~The containers are BPA-, Phthalates-, PVC-, and lead free. And they're safe for dishwashers, microwaves, and freezers!
~4 different color options!

Innobaby has so many awesome-looking products that I would love to try out. Enter to win your very own Packin' Smart Stack 'N Seal!

#4~ A Toddler Pillow and Blanket Set in any fabric of your choice from BobbleRoos!

This super cute set includes a 12x16" kid-sized pillow insert with pillowcase, and a super-sized 60x44" blanket sewn from soft 100% cotton flannel.

Why we love BobbleRoos:
~The pillow is a great size for Kirsten to use. She sleeps with it every night.
~The blanket is a nice size too. You can also use it as an oversized baby blanket, if you're ever frustrated that baby blankets are just too small.
~The fabric is really soft, and stays soft after it's been washed. There's also lots of fabric choices for boys or girls, and you can add personalization! I wish some of the fabric choices were more modern and beautiful, but they are all kid-friendly fabrics that a toddler or older child would really enjoy.

Here's how to enter to win all these great products (yes, there will be 4 separate winners!!!):

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 15 this time!!!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Go to the TruKid website and tell me which of their products you'd most like to try with your kids.
3. Sign up for the TruKid Mailing List, found on the bottom left-hand corner of their website.
4. Tell me why you'd like to try the Little Looster.
5. Go here and follow Little Looster on Twitter.
6. Look around the Innobaby website and tell me which product looks the coolest to you.
7. Sign up for the Innobaby Newsletter, found on the bottom right-hand side of their website.
8. Check out BobbleRoos and tell me which fabric you'd choose if you're the winner.
9. "Like" BobbleRoos on Facebook here.
10. Talk about this giveaway on your Facebook status and link to this post!
11. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
12. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
13. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
14. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.
15. Tell me which prize you'd be most excited to win.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway will close on February 21'st. Good luck!!!

My Disclaimer: I received some free products in exchange for writing honest reviews. All opinions are totally mine and I was not compensated!

It's February!!!

For me, January can never end soon enough. February is a much nicer month! Yes, it's still dreary and gray outside and the winter is starting to seem much too long, but at least we've got something to spice it up. . . Valentine's day and (at least in our house) the birthday of yours truly!

And in light of the upcoming day of love, I've pretty much got one thing on my mind:

Can you guess?

Yep, it's chocolate.

And not just any chocolate! My absolute favorite chocolate. Perfect textures, delicious flavors, full of melt-in-your-mouth yumminess!
Stephen knows that when it comes to chocolate, one brand reigns supreme. He wouldn't even dare to think of bringing me some Russell Stover junk. I've taught him well. :)

*In other news. . . I'm so excited about my newest Fabulous Finds Crafts and Recipes Round-Up, full of the cutest Valentine's ideas you've EVER seen! Watch for it on my blog coming soon!

To Camp Or Not To Camp?

I want to hear from all the parents out there. . . do you go camping with babies and young children? Or do you pass on the camping tents and the campfires and the bugs and everything that goes along with it?

We never took Kirsten camping as a baby, but I decided to try it when Kirsten was 2 years old and Natalie was just 4 months old. I say *I* decided to try it because Stephen was kind of against it. He thought it would be too much work and not very enjoyable. And it was difficult, but we also had so much fun and made memories that we will never forget! And really isn't that what life is all about?

Here's Natalie on her first camping trip, at 4 months old! My gosh, she looks SO different now! Isn't it amazing how little hair she had compared to Brooke?

Some things we did that made that camping trip easier were:

1. We overpacked! We took TONS of camping gear with us and every other thing I could think of that we might possibly need, because I figured it was better to be prepared for anything.
2. We slept in two separate tents. One was for Kirsten in her pack 'n play, and the other was for Natalie and me on the air mattress.
3. Since Natalie was only 4 months old, she wasn't crawling yet and was happy to be held. I think it would be much more difficult with a crawling or newly walking baby!
4. We camped with friends. It's more fun that way, plus there are more people around to entertain the kids and help out with anything else you might need.
5. We had multiple camp stoves that we shared between a few families, which made meals very quick and easy to prepare.

Last summer we went camping again, and this time I picked an amazing campsite right on the shores of Steamboat Rock State Park in eastern Washington. The place was stunning!

The awesome thing about camping right by a lake is. . . you can play in the lake all day! The kids had such a blast digging in the sand and playing in the water, and I'd love to go camping at this exact spot again.

I realize that camping with THREE small children will be infinitely harder than it was with two, so one big question on my mind is. . . should I start looking for some campsites to reserve for this summer? What do you think?

Christmas Is Over. . . But Not On My Blog!!!

Oh, my lucky readers. . . you are privileged to experience all the joy and warmth of Christmas on this dreary February day! (Yes, I'm finally getting around to posting our Christmas pictures. Yes, I'm embarrased that it took me until February to do it. Please enjoy them anyway!)

*Once again, the Veater family packed up ALL the gifts and kids and gear and hopped on a non-stop 3 1/2-hour Alaskan Airlines flight to good ol' San Diego. Land of the warm, sunny Christmases. Except we actually got a ton of rain this time on our trip. Funny fact: It was sunny in Seattle the day we left, and we arrived in San Diego to some pouring rain. Then it proceeded to rain for three days straight! For San Diego, that is a serious flood!

*We arrived in San Diego five days before Christmas, and those last few days of shopping and wrapping gifts and baking and visiting with family FLEW by! We made these beautiful cookies with our friends when we were still in Seattle:

*They were delicious! But we didn't end up with enough time to make more cookies in California. What we DID make was our family's very first gingerbread house. I can't be too proud of my mad gingerbread-house-making-skillz, since we bought the kit from Target. ;) Here's what we started with:

After lots of climbing on the table. . . ("Natalie, get down!" for the millionth time)

Some intense concentration. . .

Fighting over the candy. . .

Eating of the frosting. . .

And lots of eating of the candy. . .


We ended up with our finished. . . hmm. . . ermh, masterpiece???

*It was really fun having a whole house full of people for Christmas! My grandparents, my brother, and my aunt and uncle and their four kids PLUS us all staying at my parents' house. Full house, but I love it! The more people the merrier!

*I was thrilled that I actually got all my presents wrapped the day BEFORE Christmas Eve this year! I always end up wrapping on Christmas Eve, so it was nice to get it all done while I watched Home Alone 2 and The Christmas Story.

*We celebrated my Grandma's birthday just three days before Christmas.

*Kirsten and my cousin Caleb (they're almost the exact same age, even though he's technically my cousin) helped my Mom bake a cake for Christmas eve!

*Christmas eve dinner was awesome. Any time you get my Mom and my Grandma in the kitchen cooking up a storm, the results are always amazing. We had prime rib, our family's traditional orange rolls, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, fresh green beans from the garden. Delicious! We topped off the night with my Chocolate Mint Brownies and everyone's favorite homemade Eggnog. Santa got some as well!

*Brooke was so cute on her first Christmas eve!

*She didn't give us a silent night, but we forgive her. You have to forgive an adorable face like that! No choice!

*We had some excited kids on Christmas Eve! Natalie was still too young to understand, but she could sense the excitement in the air.

*Kirsten loved snuggling up with my cousin Rachel, who's pretty much her favorite kid in the world. She attached herself to Rachel the entire time they were visiting, and I asked my Aunt Lani if we could take Rachel home with us to entertain Kirsten ALL the time!

*It was really fun that Kirsten got SO excited about Santa this year. She knew he was going to come down the chimney, and she actually got a little too excited about that part. On Christmas morning she started crying and melting down when she came downstairs, and she kept saying, "He needs to come down the chimney!" No amount of talking we did could convince her that he already came while she was sleeping. She wanted to see him herself!

*Ah, a peaceful, quiet Christmas morning before all the presents are devoured and paper is strewn everywhere. . .

"Can we come downstairs yet???"

*My kids tend to get overwhelmed on Christmas morning, and there's lots of crying. I thought this year would be different, but it was still the same. I managed to get a few pictures of the kids happily opening presents, but most of the morning was just overwhelming for them. What is it about Christmas morning???


*I thought the cutest toy under the tree was the Toddler Cinderella doll that Santa brought for Natalie. Such an adorable doll! Natalie loves her!

*Kirsten's favorite toy was the Squinkies (she calls them "Squishies"). They're also the most problematic toy, because they get scattered absolutely everywhere and Natalie always wants to get into them. They're pretty cute though!

*Of course Brooke slept the morning away, but she had lots of loving people who wanted to hold her!

*Does anybody EVER manage to get a nice, happy family picture in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas morning? Hasn't happened for us yet! Here's this year's attempt. Kirsten wants to be asleep, and the other two are crying. Nice.

*Kirsten really did enjoy the rest of the day. She just loves playing with Rachel and Emily, and they had so much fun together!

*Despite all the hassle of traveling at this time of year, packing all the presents, and getting all that and all the kids on an airplane, it's all completely worth it to spend Christmas in San Diego with our family. The day is filled with so much love, excitement, and warmth, and it was another wonderful Christmas for our family.

Belated Giveaway Winners!

These giveaway winners should have been posted awhile ago. . . Better late than never? That just goes to show what a long Christmas vacation with the world's slowest internet will do for your blogging. I promise to post the next winners as soon as the deadlines end!

Random.org strikes again!

Winner of the Aurora World toy of choice is. . . #45!
stephy905 said... Tweeted

Winner of the Animal Alphabet Blocks from Peaceable Kingdom Press is. . . #30!
Claude said... I'm already a follower via GFC!

Winner of the Natural Mineral Lipstick from the PetalX Etsy shop is. . . #42!
The Kooky Queen--Rachel said...That Mystic purple lipgloss looks pretty from PetalX

Winner of the Leslie Tyler Lip Gloss is. . . #74!
Beth said...I like the no-show colored socks

Winner of the SwirlyDo Hair Ties is. . . #14!
Kara said... I like PetalXDesigns on facebook.

Winner of the $20 gift certificate to Socks4Life is. . . #6!
Bethany said... If I won the Socks4Life gift certificate, I would probably use it to get some Running Mate Women's Striped Socks! I'm a runner, and running socks can get really expensive.

Winner of the Happy Holiday Treats gift package is. . . #5!
Mami2jcn said... tweet

I have contacted all the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or I will choose new winners. Thank you so much to everyone who entered! Keep it coming!