Tag Archives: kids

Sep24

Vanilla Cake

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Vanilla Cake

My standard Vanilla Cake works well in making either a 2 layered Cake or 24 cupcakes.

It’s really a classic recipe that’s beyond basic but perfect in every way.

The reason I like this recipe is because it’s not too sweet which makes up for the sweetness of the frosting.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 cup Butter (Softened)
2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs

Directions
Preheat oven 175 degrees C (350 degrees F)

In a bowl combine All ingredients except Eggs.

Mix with an electric mixer until it’s all combined.

Add Eggs one at a time and continue mixing.

VanillaCupcake
For cake use two 9inch round pans (greased & floured) Bake fore 30 minutes
For Cupcakes Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool before frosting.

My favorite ButterCream frosting will elevate the taste to the next level!

Special “Butter” Tip
If you’re anything like me and have to make a cake in between your other daily plans then you generally don’t have time to let butter come to room temperature and be naturally softened.

Use this tip! Slice butter into several cubes and microwave for 20 seconds at a time until its soft but not melted. It’ll also make it easier to measure.

Sep23

Recipe Sharing!!

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Recipe Sharing!!

I hope you enjoyed last weeks series of posts about how you can plan your child’s next birthday with my simple tips.

I still have so much more to add to the theme that I’ve decided to have a follow-up series with more details to birthday planning.

I’ll be posting my best recipes that are great to cook ahead of time so you can be free the day of the birthday to do your last minute setup, decorating and socializing with other parents.

On Saturday I posted the best ButterCream frosting in the whole wide world! It’s fail proof and you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Stay tuned for my Vanilla Cake and Chocolate Fudge cake. Both are mild in sweetness and go perfectly with the ButterCream frosting.

I’ll also share a few of my signature savory dishes like “Easy Cheesy Pasta bake” and my famous “Pasta in Pink Sauce.”

Creamy potato Salad and my favorite Asian Salad dressing that’s perfect for any type of green salad.

Finally I’ll also share my freezer friendly Chicken strips and meatballs. I usually prepare loads of these recipes since they’re perfect for lunchbox, quick dinners and impromptu play date meals.

The important thing to always remember is that you’re “making life memorable” with all your special moments and food is an accessory to that!

Sep22

School Open House

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School Open House

If any of you out there still don’t have kids (and are planning to) believe that you’ve graduated school and think its all over HAAAAAA Joke’s on you! Think again!!!

It’s only over after your kids have graduated, become adults and have their own kids to worry about!!

The first 2 weeks of school are over and I still have knots in my stomach!! Every time I see a paper coming home in Jennah’s folder I squint and think “now what!”

Ahaaa invitation to attend an open house…. So I’m thinking sure I can handle that! (but please oh please I don’t want to meet that overbearing mom face to face!) Opps should I write that in public?

We tuck the girls in bed, give them an extra 10 minutes to read and out the door my husband and I go.

Kisses here and hellos there to all the mom’s and dad’s we’ve become closer to in the past few years. As my heart is racing and my mind’s thinking “Oh please prove to me once again that I made the right choice in selecting this school for my daughter”

ClassWe walk down the 2nd grade hall approaching Jennah’s classroom. There it is on the left Room P014.

My Heart pounding and thinking “Please please be a pleasant year!”

We walk in and naturally we’re the first parents there….funny enough Jennah’s teacher guessed we would be! Yikes ! Am I turning into those mom’s that the teacher avoids when he/she sees them approaching.

Samar forget it….move along, who cares what he thinks.

We take a seat at Jennah’s table and take a look at her little note for us….AWE how sweet she thinks we’re the best parents even when we shout….

Twitter
 
 

Time to look around….OMG!! How cute is that Tweet board!

What an amazing idea!!!

Teacher posts a question as a Tweet and the kids write their responses on sticky notes.

Totally creative!

HopesDreams
 
 

Oh and check out that Hopes and dreams Board….

Each child write’s what they want to accomplish in the academic year.

Now I’m thinking why didn’t we have this stuff when we were growing up!

WelcomeNote
 
 

Back to Jennah’s table we go and take our seats.

Ready for our guidelines for the year!!!

Her teacher takes the floor and then I start to ease myself into a smile and say to myself.
He sure is going to be “Making Life Memorable” for Jennah!

Sep16

The Guest List

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The Guest List

So you’re having a party and decided on your Theme!! Woohoo step one check.

guestlist Next step is your guest list….sounds simple right? Nope! This I think is one of the hardest decisions, after all it is what makes the party really work.

Some guests are a no brainer…Family comes first! Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. I know that sounds like a party on its own but you do have to invite kids!

This is where it gets tricky… How many and who (or is it whom?) to invite?

It’s a standard that you should invite the kids age plus one. So if your child is turning 4 then you invite 5 kids. The first time I read that I almost fell out of my chair laughing. There was no way I am able to limit myself to just that, my girls and myself are too social for that.

The easiest way to help in deciding how many people/children to invite is according to the space you’re having the party in.

Almost all the parties I’ve had for the girls were in the garden so I’m pretty generous when it comes to numbers.

A good rule of thumb is to figure out seating. You should have 2.5 seats per child (the child + parent) this off course doesn’t include adults that come without kids (Grandparents, aunts, Mom’s best friend ….etc).

Next you may want to consider siblings. I have a rule not to invite Jennah’s friends to Zeenah’s birthday and vice versa. With that said I do have specific friends (you know who you are!) that have both age groups that I do invite.

Now how do you prepare the list…. I usually divide a nice white crisp A4 paper into 3 columns, yes as old fashioned as that sounds I like to have it on paper and in my purse so I can add and cross as I please.

The 3 columns are Family, Friends, Children.

Each column is then divided into Adult & Child. You can download my word document and fill it out.GUEST LIST

Here’s how it works…. First column for each Family member you’re inviting you have a column for their child/children. So my sister column one and her 2 kids in the next column.

The Friends column is actually the parent’s friends, but your child actually has to know their child and enjoys playing with them too…. so for example my friend “ABC” and her child “abc”.

Now that Jennah has been in school for a while some parents have become my friends but their children are no longer in the same class or school.

Here is where you as a parent need to make the hard decision of cutting people out. Sure you love “Mommy H” but your daughter doesn’t play with her “Son Y”. Off the list they go. No guilt, if you want set a date with the mom over coffee or dinner and enjoy the company of an adult!

Finally the kids column….this is where I use the child’s age plus one. These are usually children that are new friends, in her class and basically I have no knowledge of. I’ve let Jennah (almost 7) decide on those. That way your child can feel involved too.

After all it is THEIR birthday and “Making Life Memorable” for THEM!

Sep15

It’s Birthday Season

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It’s Birthday Season

Now that the girls are back in school and we’re getting back into the routine we also have the joys of attending birthdays.

This year we’ve started early and strong!!! Two birthdays back to back the first weekend since school started.

I’m the kind of gal that enjoys hosting birthdays and parties at home. Many choose to go with the outside venues like fast food chains or “kid places” like Baroue, Infunity and the likes. It does make everything easier but I find it a little impersonal.

Just like I had the “back to school” week on my blog I’m making this week “Birthday Week”

I’ll talk about themes, birthday menus, gifts and lots of DIY things you can do to make your child’s birthday a special and memorable one.

First thing I’m going to talk about is deciding on a theme.

Have your kids involved but not too involved or else you might end up bending over backwards for them. Here’s the trick. Give them choices of themes you actually want or are willing to spend time preparing for.

Choose things they already like but guide them through the decision, they’ll end up thinking it was their idea to begin with.

The latest movie, cartoon character or action figure might appeal to your child but if it’s tooooo complicated to create you’re only setting yourself up to go bonkers!

When choosing a themes it HAS to be something workable not only in decoration but also in entertainment and games. Yes there’s more to a birthday than just cake!

At the same time try not to over think it, sometimes space to just run around is all the kids want. So if you had planned on 5 games and only did 2 don’t fuss and force them to all stand in line to play “pin the tail on the donkey”, enjoy the company of the other mommies instead (says the mom that doesn’t sit!)

Do your research before hand and the trick is to pre-plan everything. In Kuwait it’s hard to just go out to the “dollar store” and find it all. I wish it was that easy.

So if you have a theme in advance every time you visit a “bu miya” or any where else you might find one or two things that you can just stock up on in advance.

Off course there’s always online ordering, the cure of all. But be careful because you might go way over your budget because of shipping costs.

I’ll leave you now with a list (in no particular order) of things you to consider for your child’s next birthday. And stay tuned for details on almost ALL of them!

1. Guest list
2. Invitations
3. Decoration (includes plates, cups & utensils)
4. Menu &/or Food bars and beverages
5. Games & Stations
6. Party favors
7. Set-up (Tables, chairs, sofas…etc)
8. Music & Entertainment
9. Adult supervision and help
10. Photography & Videography
11. Cake & Cupcakes
12. Always remember it’s about the KIDS!!

Themes I’ve done or the girls:
First Birthday
Minie Mouse
Tinkerbell
Strawberry Shortcake
Tiana (Princess & the Frog)
LolliPop
Fancy Nancy
Monkey
Ballet

Photo Gallery of My Girls’ Birthdays.
PicMonkey Collage

Sep6

Jennah Lost her Tooth!!!!

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Jennah Lost her Tooth!!!!

What a milestone in one week!! Jennah survived the first week of school AND she lost her first tooth!!

J-toothless
It’s official my first born is a big girl now.

I’m so glad my motherly instincts kicked in this morning and I got her what she wanted.

She’s been talking about her wiggly tooth almost everyday. “When is it going to fall?” “why is it taking long?” “Is the tooth fairy real?”

Off course as a mother you take full advantage of the Tooth Fairy’s existence. “If the tooth fairy finds out she’ll be upset” “You better clean up or else the tooth fairy won’t come”

It’s not all questions and threats… there’s always the FUN stuff.

We spoke about pixie dust and how the fairy might leave some behind. The land of tooth fairies. The existence of Boy tooth fairies. We also spoke of the things that good teeth get in return like gifts, money, toys….

Almost every time we shopped she would ask if the fairy was going to buy this or that for her. Never did I see that Sparkle in her eye of wanting something specific…..

UNTIL a few days ago we went into Claire’s and she saw purple furry “eye muffies” as she called them and I knew by her giddy voice and question THAT was the perfect gift to go under her pillow.
gift
Now for the Pixie dust…. I thought of getting a small vial and putting some glitter in it. Then I started to think maybe that’s taking TOO much imagination into reality.

So Next thought was glittery nail polish……but that should be a gift on it’s own we still have a full mouthful of teeth!

Then I found it!!! I almost was jumping for joy…. The cutest Necklace ever. A vial pendant with tiny beads. I can’t wait to see her reaction in the morning!

I had to document the loss of her first tooth with a certificate. I looked up a few different fairy names and meanings. I chose fairy Feeorin Austrian she appropriately loves music and dancing… Perrrrrrfect for Jennah! I designed the certificate and put a few nice words and I can’t say I’m not pleased with the outcome:)
cert

While I was at it I also made two little notes to add under her pillow. The tooth fairy description and another one explaining the necklace.

Meanwhile Jennah worked on decorating a jewelry box for the tooth fairy and writing the cutest “Tooth Fairy Request”. She tucked the note in the drawer of the jewelry box and then we put the tooth in the top part.
JennahNote

We neatly put the box with the tooth fairy door we made in the corner of her bed and Jennah said “I can’t wait for tomorrow!”
J-bed
Now all I need to do is sneak in there at some point and put her goodies under the pillow.

Hope this “Makes Life Memorable” for her.

Sep2

Back to School Treats

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Back to School Treats

I was determined to make something special for the girl’s first day of school. I wanted to make sure they were super excited about the year ahead. The hardest part was making sure it was something the kids would enjoy and it be a healthy treat.

First I thought maybe it should be a non-edible something….but it didn’t make sense to send a notepad and pencil favor with the amount of supplies we’ve already sent to school and for the younger ones sending crayons home didn’t seem appealing.

So plan B edible…healthy omits cookies, candy and chocolates. I was not about to send apples & bananas, where’s the creativity in that???

Then it dawned on me Popcorn!!! Kids of all ages love popcorn, it’s air popped and healthy. No allergy issues and extremely simple!!!
POP_1
 
 

Pop_Labels
 
 
 

Next came the labels!! That’s where the creativity kicked in….
 
 

I tried to choose something fun on each Label…it read It’s gonna be a “POPin” year with you in my class! and the girls’ names. I made sure that I used different borders for each of the girls so that they were unique to them.
 
 
 
 

And viola!! Amazing popcorn treats for the girls classmates to kick of the School year with a POP! and all you needed was a bowl of popcorn and a few simple supplies.
POP_supplies
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now that’s “Making life memorable”
POP all
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stay tuned for the “Teacher’s Survival Kit”

Aug29

Quick Breakfast

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Quick Breakfast

The first week getting back to the routine of school can get very hectic.

You might have a morning or several when you are so rushed and breakfast might end up on the go.

You definitely want to get a healthy start for your kids.

Don’t worry I got you covered with my delicious Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie!!

smoothie

Ingredients:
1 Banana
1 cup Soya Milk (You can use regular)
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (or honey)
4/5 cubes of Ice
Directions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings (1 cup each)

The best part is your kids will enjoy making them giving you some breathing space too!

Aug28

Study Station Success

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Study Station Success

Girls tucked in and fast asleep and my mind is so much clearer. Grabbed my cup of yogurt and sat in front of Jennah’s desk assessing the situation.

What should I tackle first?? The easiest naturally. All last year and summer Artwork removal. I decided what’s worth saving and what goes for recycling. I did go through them at the end of the school year but it seems I lost some of the attachment to the girls artwork.

Half way through going through the papers, art projects displayed and in folders I realized it’s taking way to much time. I decided to put them on the side and work on something else.

It’s time to organize the stationery. The containers I used were small tin buckets, small basket and small plastic bins.
 
Stationary desk
Tins: I put erasers in the extra small tin bucket. Pencils in the small tin bucket.

Plastic Bins: Colored Pencils in a plastic bin and markers in the other bin. I made sure I sharpened all the pencils with my electrical sharpener. A must have in our household with the amount of coloring we do!

Basket:In the small basket I put post it notes and small notepads, I use these for marking her assignments and for explaining things while studying.
 

After I cleared up any additional papers hanging out in the other cubbies of her desk I put a clipboard, whiteboard and an empty magazine holder for new papers coming back from school.

Now the laptop and headphones are neatly placed in the other corner of her desk.

I removed everything from the top up and it’s time to look at the bottom…. Yikes!!!

Do things crawl in our household? Why are their toys? Painting gear? Blocks? Crafting things…if I’m going to continue the list of what I found it’ll develop into a whole other post!
 

Obviously I had to spend a little extra time organizing homes for all these miscellaneous items. Painting and crafting on the painting corner, blocks & Lego with the rest of the blocks….etc
 
below Desk
 
All cleaned up down there for some leg room and a few empty magazine holders for my little second graders work.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I took a step back and felt proud of how neat the space looked, off course I’m not sure how long that would last but at least it’s a great way to start the new school year. Still I felt it was lacking something….I have to add some sort of personal touch.
 
board 
 
 
Then it came to me, the cork board looked so plain…. I took the push pins and made the letter “J” for Jennah.

I’m sure it’s not going to last before all the papers take over but hey I had to have my touch somewhere!

 
 
 
 
DRUM ROLL PLEEEEEEEZE….
The final look of an organized Study Space for Jennah, now she’s ready to tackle 2nd grade….you think?

organized Desk

Read the Part one of this post

Aug25

Back to School

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Back to School

I remember the last week of school like it was yesterday! I remember thinking “OH my God what am I going to do with the girls??” Well I survived, the girls are still somewhat civilized and we didn’t perish in Kuwait’s heat. Now we’re at the last week of the summer vacation and getting ready for school. Uniforms, supplies, back packs, lunch boxes and so much more to think of.

I’m dedicating all my posts this week to Back to School tips, organization and planning. First up is what’s your school year looking like?

Have you looked at the school calendar yet?? Most schools have them on their website so I suggest printing it out and take a look at the year ahead. Now if you have more than one child that go to different schools, like me, be sure to printout each school’s calendar.
 
calendar
Now the first step to staying organized and minimize stress is to stay on top of things. So go out and get a really good calendar. Something with enough writing space that can fit the whole family’s schedule. My favorite is the magnetic fridge calendar from Motherword. It’s got the perfect writing space for us all and the additional stickers to make it even more fun, who doesn’t love stickers?! It’s also a 16 month versus the usual 12 months. Really designed for mothers to put to good use.
 
 

pens
 

 

A method I use when writing on the calendar is using different colors for each family member and combinations (ie Kids playdates together, Fawaz & I…etc). It makes it so easy to visualize for the whole family. I highlight birthdays and holidays in advance so that we can anticipate the month ahead and be prepared with gifts without stressing out about it at last minute. and most importantly in my life would be no double booking.

 
 

 
 
 
 
A very important thing to remember is “location, location, location!” It’s crucial to hang your calendar in a place that EVERYONE can and will access. This calendar isn’t just so you’re organized and informed but so everyone around you is on the same page. In my household the most traffic is in the kitchen. Some people have their family room or entryway as the high traffic space. I suggest you take a look at your lifestyle and decide accordingly as to where the “perfect” place for the calendar is. The additional advantage of the Motherword calendars is that they have magnetic strips that you can stick on the back to mount onto your fridge. If you do find a calendar you like that doesn’t have that you can also buy magnetic strips at most stationery stores.

The more you’re organized and prepared the more time you have to “Making Life Memorable”