My one year old is going through an extreme teething phase right now and I’m willing to try about anything to soothe him and the fuss. As I was searching for teething toys, I came across these super cute DIY personalized teething pacifier clips and I decided to give it a whirl. The final product was so cute, I simply had to share.
These easy to make clips are the perfect gift or quick craft for the mama looking for a teething solution. Below I’ve included the supplies needed and step by step directions for creating these super simple and sweet DIY personalized teething pacifier clips!
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One at a time, place silicone teething beads on the cord. You may need to use the bobby pin to push the cord through the bead or tape to control a frayed cord.
Find the center of the entire piece of cord and tie a knot to create a 2.5″ loop. Slide the beads down to the knot. Then thread the needle back through the beads.
When you get to the end, loop the cord around the base of a pacifier clip. Hold it taught, and wrap the end of the cord tightly around the base of the clip and knot. Thread the end of the cord back through a few beads (to hide the excess) and trim the end.
And there it is! A pacifier clip that doubles as a teething toy. Be sure that the beads are secure on the cord and that the knots are tied tight. These beads are perfect for teething but post a choking threat if detached.
If you’re a busy, on-the-go mom, you might appreciate slow cooker meals just as much as I do. This week, we have more recipes to share with you!
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As we continue to share our favorite slow cooker meals with you, we hope you will find ones that become a staple in your home. We’ll share everything from kid-friendly meals, healthy meals, soups, budget-friendly meals and more.
The first thing when planning your slow cooker meal prep is to make sure you have a top-notch appliance. Here is our favorite – this slow cooker pumps out enough food for the entire family!
This ranch chicken recipe only takes moments to prep and then it will cook all day in the crockpot while you are at work, enjoying family time, or out and about! No pre-planning or thawing required
How is it that the second child’s first year flies by even faster than the first? I’m over here scratching my head trying to figure out where the time went. It feels as though we were just in the hospital introducing him to big brother and yet here we are, only a few weeks away from his first birthday, setting up a cake smash photo shoot. (Don’t mind me, I’ll just be over here in my feelings)
With time having left us little to work with, I decided to set up an in-home cake smash photoshoot for his first birthday so I could have the photos in time for his party. I feared that most professional photographers would be be booked by this point and I wanted to flex some creative muscles as photography is definitely a hobby of mine.
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I can only describe the in-home cake smash as a huge success! The photos are priceless. The experience was incredibly fun and it became a family ordeal, as big brother helped draw big smiles (as only a big brother can) and Dad assisted with props.
The birthday boy normally doesn’t stop moving and can be difficult to capture. However, the cake kept him anchored in place long enough to snap some great photos. Once all was said and done, we had a few bites of what was left of the decimated treat.
I want to empower other moms to have some fun with their own cake smash photo-shoots because it truly is so easy! Save time and money and capture some memories without having to leave the house. Flex full control over the shots you want to frame and print at your leisure without acquiring extra cost.
Here is a step-by-step guide explaining how to create your own cake smash photo-shoot at home!
Step 1.) Find a Location
The lighting and background of your photo-shoot will play a huge role in the quality of your photos. Select a spot in your home with plenty of natural light. Use the space in front of a big window or sliding glass door. Turn off any overhead lights to prevent orange and brackish coloring in the photos.
If there isn’t an ideal location inside, outside will work too. Be sure to choose a time of day where the shadows won’t be overpowering your subject.
The background should be plain and simple. Use a white wall or purchase a backdrop on amazon that can be hung or used as a faux white wood floor. These elements ensure that baby will be the central focus of each capture. I’ve linked one below. A white sheet will work just as well!
Step 2.) Cake, Props & Clothing
The cake, props and clothing you choose will help develop the theme of the shoot. For example: because the theme of my son’s first birthday is barnyard animal, I used a simple cake on a rustic wood platter with a few sunflowers, and added suspenders to his shorts for a farm feel. I also used a sign for the pre-cake photos simply to indicate the occasion.
Tip: Balloons are a cheap and easy prop. Scatter them around and snap photos of baby chasing after them.
To continue to keep costs low, find a toy or piece of decor around the house to boost the theme of the photos. Bake a cake or grab a cheap one from the supermarket. I purchased the cake featured in my son’s photos at Target for $10. The “One” prop used in the photos below I picked up from a craft store for $5.
Step 3.) Camera
For this step, the good old iPhone (especially in portrait mode) will do just fine. But for full disclosure purposes, I wanted to note that when capturing these photos I used my Nikon DSLR D3400, linked below.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: we were supposed to be saving money here and that camera sets me back almost $400. Hear me out: since purchasing that camera when my first child was born, I’ve used it on many occasions that I probably would’ve paid a photographer to capture. Birthdays, holidays, vacations, and everyday moments in between, the Nikon has taken some incredible photos and in the long run has definitely saved us money.
This my advice: Hire the professional for monumental family moments when mama, you need to be in there too. Invest in the camera for the smaller occasions. Or, if you’re totally cool with the iPhone quality then use the iPhone. I’ve snapped some awesome photos with my iPhone camera as well.
Step 4.) Take as Many Photos as Possible
When the shoot is all set up, the props are handy, and baby is happy and ready, start snapping and DON’T STOP! Snag as many shots from as many different angles as possible.
Focus in on the details of the cake, the messy hands and the cake covered faces. The more photos you have the more likely you are to be happy with the outcome. It’ll also be easier to select the best photos for editing!
We even let big brother get in on the action!
The Aftermath…
Step 5.) Culling and Editing
Now that you have an amazing crop of photos, it’s time to decide which ones to edit. Pick your favorites and make sure there is a solid variety with good resolution and quality lighting. Those will withstand the editing process the best.
For editing I use the Lightroom app on my phone. It’s free and will provide the best quality photos without having to pay for an expensive editing program.
Feel free to edit the photos to your liking OR you can do what I do, and use a Lightroom mobile preset to enhance your photos. Below you can see the before preset and after preset photos.
I’ve linked my favorite lightroom presets here but you can always browse Pinterest or Etsy for presets that provide the desired feel. Some are free and others may charge a small fee.
LET THERE BE CAKE (smash photo shoots!) We hope you enjoyed our step-by-step guide on how to create your own cake smash photo-shoot at home and feel inspired to get creative! Please share photos of your DIY shoots!
It should come as no surprise that my three year old doesn’t come sprinting down the stairs for breakfast each morning since I often skip the entire meal myself and settle for coffee (I’m working on that!)
One way to encourage breakfast eating (or any meal for that matter) is to have kids help prepare dishes and perhaps even come up with their own recipes, under the supervision of adults, of course! It also helps when the meal is easy to make and absolutely delicious, and BONUS I get to munch on them too.
This recipe is an easy spin on an old classic – the pop tart! Thanks to the invention of the air fryer, its possible to create this delicious morning treat in a matter of minutes. My son and I had the best time decorating and getting creative with the icing and toppings.
Note that the icing does dry fast so keep adding more in order for the toppings to stick. The extra layer of sweetness yields even tastier pop tart. We used Nutella and strawberry preserves for our fillings but feel free to experiment with other fillers such as marsh mellow, chocolate, banana, etc. Have some fun with it!
The principle ingredient in the icing is Greek yogurt to cut down on sugar bright and early. It is not quite guilt free but certainly healthier than the store bought version.
Let us help with the stress of skipping “the most important meal of the day” and get kids excited about eating breakfast with homemade air fryer pop tarts!
Roll pie crust onto floured surface and cut into rectangles.
Spread strawberry preserves or nutella onto rectangle pie crust. Leave half an inch from edge for seal. Place another rectangle pie crust on top.
Seal the pie crusts with water around the edges and use fork to mold both rectangles together.
Coat Air Fryer with cooking spray. Place pop tarts in fryer. Heat at 350 degrees and let cook for 5 minutes.
Mix all of the icing ingredients in a bowl. Once Pop Tarts are done, remove from fryer and ice. Add sprinkles or other toppings.
Caught mid-bite eating his
air fryer pop tarts!
We hope those early mornings are now a little sweeter! If you’re looking for more air fryer recipes to jump out of bed for, check out our Air Fryer Donuts
I am that extra mom that coordinates my kid’s pajamas with holidays, books, hobbies, you name it. And because they’re always growing out of their jammies (and we wear them a lot in this household) I’m constantly checking around for good deals on quality sleepwear. Furthermore, Amazon offers some great brands for super cheap and admittedly I LOVE the convenience. Below I’ve listed my favorite brands and what I have found to be the best baby & kids pajamas under $20 on Amazon! Happy shopping (and hopefully sleeping!)
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I can’t get enough of these puppy PJs from Spotted Zebra and I just ordered them for my son! Bonus buy – these are less than $10 and come with the short sleeve option which I love.
How cute are these Bunny sets for Spring? Order now in time for the Easter holiday and have the kiddos open their baskets in style, or have the bunny bring them on Easter morning.
We are a books-to-bed family and nothing gets my oldest pumped for reading like pajamas that match the book we snuggle up to at night. Purchase the books along with the PJ set and it serves as an awesome gift as well. Click here for Llama Llama Red Pajama and here for Brown Bear Brown Bear.
Leveret is one of my FAVORITE brands because of the adorable patterns and the no slip footies. My youngest son is beginning to pull up on everything and the extra grip is a safety plus. I’ve ordered several pairs, and in fact have a matching pair for myself! They also come tag-less for littles with sensitive skin. I have featured the mermaid pattern here but be sure to look at the other patterns available.
Burts Bees – not just the creamy chapstick in your purse! These are 100% organic cotton and also have the no slip footies. More patterns available for this one as well.
These Avauma sets are the most expensive on the list but I love how cozy and simple they are. These thermal pajamas will stay warm on cold nights and hold their structure well through many rounds in the washing machine.
There are few rites of passage as we move into spring, and for me – one of them is spring cleaning! As a family who has had our fair share of winter sicknesses, I am ready to get my spring cleaning on and eliminate all lingering germs. And if you are too – I have made this handy spring deep cleaning checklist for you, along with a customizable weekly cleaning schedule you can fill out on your own!
See below to download your FREE spring cleaning printables!
This checklist is a great reminder to tackle all those essential, but easily forgettable tasks. And these downloads are a great addition to your Family Home Binder printables available in my post here.
Are you a fan of spring cleaning? What are some items on your list that you think I should add to mine?
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There are few rites of passage as we move into spring, and for me – one of them is spring cleaning! As a family who has had our fair share of winter sicknesses, I am ready to get my spring cleaning on and eliminate all lingering germs. And if you are too – I have made this handy spring deep cleaning checklist for you, along with a customizable weekly cleaning schedule you can fill out on your own!