Last month marked a special occasion in our family—Kieran turned 3!  We decided to combine her two loves, princesses and Central Park.  All of her friends were invited to wear their favorite princess dress to the party.  In order to not exclude the boys, they were provided with pirate regalia (hats and eyepatches). To be fair, the boys did have their own pirate invite, too!

We opted to give the party favors out at the beginning of the party.  First reason, the little princesses were to receive tiaras and wands, so we thought it fitting that they have them for the entire party.  Second reason, since this was an outdoor party for a bunch of tots, I didn’t think the bags would remain intact and that everyone would, in fact, receive their bag if I left them on the lawn for 2 hours.  I also wanted the little pirates to have their hats and eye patches.  And, if the kids were hungry before the pizza arrived, there was some Pirate’s booty stashed in all the gift bags and boxes to be enjoyed!

I felt lucky that with a bunch of mainly 2-4 year olds I didn’t feel the need to plan for any games.  All of the kids were happy to run around on the grass, although a couple of the kids did bring their own bubbles (always a hit!).

Since we are moving soon, we decided to have as much NYC in her party as we could.  Besides having the party in Central Park, we had pizza delivered there, too.  Here’s a note, they wouldn’t deliver into the park, but we had them meet my husband at 72^nd and 5^th for the exchange.  Just in case you are in NYC and wish to do the same, we ordered from Don Filipo’s on Lexington Ave.–it was delivered right on time, hot and delicious!

Once lunch was out of the way, it was time to sing the birthday girl (I mean, princess) her customary song.  I laid out all the cupcakes on the grass, and the kids quickly descended around them!  Thankfully, the cupcakes remained 100% intact until after the song (and pictures) were through.  We decided on cupcakes from Two Little Red Hens on 1^st Avenue.  My husband and I have made a pretty good circuit of the local bakeries and agree that these are the tastiest.  According to the reactions of our guests, I’d have to say we were right!

The day was magical.  We were even able to get almost all the kids together in one shot for a group photo (by almost, I guess I mean about half!).  Kieran still talks about it—even over a month later.  It was a great experience for all!

If you are throwing a Princess & Pirates party, here is a helpful list of items to get you well on your way!

Princess Invites & Thank You’s, Cupcake Toppers and Gift Bags

Pirate Invites & Thank You’s (Meri Meri also has Pirate-themed cupcake toppers and gift bags)

Pirate Cupcake Toppers

Tiara and Wand Party Favor

Pirate Gift Box and Favors

Princess Carriage photo-op

Pirate photo-op

Pirate’s Booty

Meri Meri is one of the featured vendors in this story.  They are a UK-based company that has been making beautiful handmade-style stationary for over 25 years.  Their products include greeting cards, invitations, partyware, gifts, photo albums and journals.

GIVEAWAY: Meri Meri is kindly offering one (1) That’s IT Mommy reader an Invitation/Thank You kit to help get your party started right! THANK YOU, Meri Meri.

MAIN REQUIRED ENTRY – Go to Meri Meri and choose from one of the currently available sets listed here:

• 45-0020 Pirate Box Set
• 45-0026 Bridal Shower Box Kit
• 45-0040 Mermaids Invite Set 8/Box
• 45-0043 Ready Set Go Invite Kit 8/Box
• 45-0045 Twinkle Toes Invite Set 8/Box
• 45-0119 Animal Parade Invite & Thank You
• 45-0135 Fairy Wishes Invite & Thank You
• 45-0139 3D Robot Invite/Thank You
• 45-0155 Teddy Bear Fun Invite/Thank You
• 45-0029 Princess Cupcake Set (Invite/Thank you not available during this giveaway period)

(Remember if this MAIN ENTRY is not followed then no other entries will count)

Optional Bonus Entries - Leave each extra entry in a separate comment.

• Visit Meri Meri and tell us another item that they sell (not offered in the giveaway)
• Follow Meri Meri on Twitter (2 extra – 2 comments #1, #2)
• Subscribe to our RSS Feed or email (or tell us that you already do) (3 extra – 3 separate comments #1, #2, #3)
• Follow us on Twitter (leave us your twitter ID) (1 extra)
• Blog about this giveaway (leave the link) (2 extra – 2 comments #1, #2)
• Follow us on Networked Blogs (1 extra)
• Enter another one of our current giveaways (3 extra – 3 separate comments #1, #2, #3)
• Leave a comment on one of our non-giveaway reviews (2 extra – 2 extra comments #1, #2)
• Tweet about this giveaway (Copy – WIN a handmade invitation/thank you set via @thatsitmommy @merimericards http://thatsitmommy.com/?p=5088 #giveaway) come back daily and leave us the link to the tweet (1 extra)

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 3, 2010 (PST) with winner being announced sometime on or before August 5, 2010 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to residents in the lower 48 states only (18+).

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The items mentioned in the review were previously purchased by Heather.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
 The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Did you know that June was Potty Awareness Month?  Well it is and we have decided to share our potty training experiences with our readers. Good Luck to all of you who are embarking on this journey! It can be tough or in some cases (see Heather’s story) very easy! Don’t give up and please feel free to share your stories with us.

That’s It Mommy friend, Erika

Erika’s Story

For Adeline’s 2nd Birthday she got her very own pink potty and some Dora the Explorer underwear I thought that was all it would take for her to be potty trained!  Fast forward 6 months later and the potty still sat unused and the Dora underwear was too small!  I decided that Adeline would be potty trained eventually and I wasn’t going to force the issue.  Well, that is not the entire truth.  I may have tried to force it a little but it caused tremendous breakdowns so it wasn’t worth it.  Adeline didn’t want to wear her new Princess underwear and whenever I managed to get her into them she would last about 5 minutes before having an accident.  So I stopped.  We talked about it a lot. Finally one day we were visiting my sister Karen, who is a preschool teacher.  She asked Adeline if she wanted to go to her school next year and Adeline got very excited by this idea.   Karen then told Adeline that she had to go on the potty in order to go to school.  Nothing more was said.  A few days later Adeline decided she was ready to use her potty.  That was it!  She was potty trained and “ready for school”. We have had a couple of accidents but not too many.  Adeline is still wearing pull-ups to bed but they have been dry in the morning.  Next stop preschool!

Tee’s Story

I first wrote about our potty training experience with Teagan back inMarch (read here). The situation has improved. She goes on the potty more often than not but she still hasn’t fully embraced the idea. She seems to be anxious about the whole process. I’m a full time working mom so our daycare provider handles most of the potty training. My husband and I work with Teagan in the evenings and on weekends. Lately she’s gone entire weekends without an accident. But daycare seems to be a different issue. She’s not as comfortable there and tends to hold it in. The holding in has turned into constipation issues! (Sigh) I never imagined how hard this transition was going to be.

Potty training is such an individual experience. It seems like nothing for some kids but a bigger ordeal for others. There have been times when Teagan has even asked for her diaper! Maybe it’s her ‘security blanket.’ Whatever the case we’re here to encourage and support her. Potty training is one of the few things that parents just don’t have a lot of control over. The child ultimately decides whether or not they’re ready. So, we’re still taking things day by day and encouraging and supporting her through this transition. Teagan is having a difficult time leaving her “baby” ways behind. I’ve even noticed a little regression here and there. We talked to Teagan’s doctor and she said, “Don’t worry about it. It’ll happen eventually.”

Heather’s Story

I don’t think most moms want to hear my experience.  Consider this a warning—read no further unless you want to read about the ideal experience.  Here it is in a nutshell-Kieran essentially potty trained herself by her 2^nd birthday and was dry through the night at around 2 years 4 months.  Hey—I warned you!  I really wish there was a magical answer I could give to other moms, but it all just kind of fell into place.  I honestly wasn’t even ready when it happened!  I read no books, had no discussions with friends or any other preparations before the big event.  She just calmly walked over to get her changing pad out of her diaper bag one day, sat on it, looked right at me and the rest is history.  Kieran led the way and I just followed.  It’s my opinion, though, that since she started so young (with exclusively pooping on the toilet from the age of 17 months), the entire process was prolonged.  For full daytime dryness and transition to “big girl underwear”, it was from November to May.  We also have a 3 month old, and are already preparing ourselves that the next time likely won’t be so easy!

Jill’s Story

Potty training did not happen for us the way everyone else said it happened for them. Friends and family provided gentle pressure by telling us their success stories. The “all or nothing” approach, M&Ms, stickers, books, videos and new big kid underwear – nada.

These successes gave us lots of methods to try with my daughter which perhaps made potty training the most talked about subject in our home for about 12 months. We had lots of starts and stops which I felt were necessary to keep potty training from becoming negative for everyone in the family. For us something just clicked and she began exclusively using the potty overnight. I think we can take some credit in preparing her by introducing the equipment and talking so much about it, but the reality is it was only when she made the decision to stop using diapers that we had success. We’ll be trying potty training all over again with our second child and I think this time around I will just be a bit more relaxed as I let him set the time frame for potty training success.

Good luck!!  thatsITmommy & friends

Our first kid was our dog Nigel. We’ve had this little Yorkshire Terrier since he was 12 weeks old. He’s recently celebrated his 10th birthday. Nigel is still blonde and steel blue, beautiful I say, but oh so stubborn! We also have a female dog named Sable that we adopted when we first moved out to LA. Sable is a terrier mix, part Affenpinscher and Cairn Terrier. I think Nigel still thinks Sable is here temporarily even though she’s been with us for 6 years. Since Teagan was born my husband and I have agreed that having dogs actually prepared us for parenthood. We got all our baby talk out on the pups! I really don’t think we ever talked to Teagan like she was a baby. Nigel got the bulk of the “oh the itty-bitty baby, oh you’re so cute, goo-goo, gaa-gaa” talk. Don’t get me wrong Teagan’s been showered with her share of cooing noises and funny faces from us but for the most part, we’ve always talked to her like we talked to anyone else. We tend to engage her in conversation rather than talk at her. Most important, these canines taught us about responsibility. We have to walk, feed, love, and take care of their health just like our children.

Sable wasn’t too fond of Teagan when the stork delivered her. Sable is definitely an alpha dog and I was worried about her being aggressive around Teagan. I think Sable knew that she was going down a notch in the chain of command and that Daddy had a new favorite. There was talk of giving Sable away but my husband insisted on waiting and see how things matured. I am glad we did. Nigel pretty much kept his distance from Teagan. He knew that whatever this thing was, she definitely meant a lot to us.

Teagan is almost 3 now and she adores the dogs. Sable likes the attention and realizes that Teagan will play tug of war. Nigel still keeps his distance but will occasionally offer Teagan a kiss on the nose. Pets teach kids responsibility from early on. Teagan tries to be gentle with them and often participates in walks, feedings and bath time. They make her laugh and they are her “friends”. They’ve all definitely bonded, even though there are times when they have no choice. The dogs drive me nuts (BARK!) but I love them. I even think that Teagan has not suffered from colds and other sickness because of the dogs. There is something magical about owning and sharing life with dogs. Our dogs are both unique, have very strong personalities and they complete our family. =)

Sable and Teagan

Nigel and Teagan (3 mos. old)

Potty training our daughter has been a sllloooowww process for us. Me, my hubbie and our daycare provider have all been going with the flow, being patient and offering our support to Teagan. BUT honestly? I’m ready to move on! I’m so sick of changing diapers!  Although, Teagan has different feelings about it.  Sitting in her yucky diaper never seems to bother her. What bothers her is having to stop so we can change her icky diaper! We bought her a potty when she turned 2. I read that 2 was a good time to introduce toddlers to potty training. Teagan actually loved the idea of her own potty. She used it a bunch of times and we were so HAPPY (I’m sure you guys can relate!). Until one day she decided that she didn’t want to pee ANYMORE! And that’s how it she put. “I’m not peeing…ANYMORE!” (sigh). We were doing so well. Well, we decided not to fret over it. Hubbie and I figured that she’d eventually come around. We all learn, right? What’s the point of pressuring her? Everyday, a few times per hour, we ask if she wants to use the potty. Some days she did, others she ran screaming from it. She finally went #2 on the potty. Ok, she only went once but it still counts. She had her poop face on (timing is everything, right?). I grabbed her as she grimaced and sprinted across the apartment to make placement on the potty. SUCCESS!

We have decided to cut out the training diapers and instead purchased a bunch of “big girl” underwear. She’s actually done really well with them. Accidents have been minimal and she’s going into the bathroom on her own. Sometimes she has too much fun and forgets to take a bathroom break. I’m avoiding candy and other bribery methods (not saying I won’t resort to that but I’m really trying my best not to). One tool we use is the Potty Caddy. My coworker gave us the Potty Caddy to test out. The Potty Caddy comes with stickers, a roll of TP, and some books that are the right size for toddlers. Teagan  enjoys the little books that come with the Pottty Caddy and usually chills out for a short read (must be taking after daddy there). We’re running out of stickers and they’ve wound up all over the bathroom wall. I’m not “reviewing” the product but I thought I’d share just in case any of you are looking for another potty training tool.

This past weekend was a proud moment for us! She announced that she had to poo. She sat down on her potty and I told her I’d give her some privacy. After a minute or so she announced that she went. I walked in to her in a “ta-da” stance and…she did it! I called for my husband and we both cheered and told her how proud we were. Teagan was proud of herself as well. So we all hugged around her potty. We even called her daycare provider to share the news! Who knew that one of my proudest moments would involve poop? =) These milestone are really exciting….but, alas, my baby is growing up so fast. (sigh…)

- Tee

Of course, I’m totally biased when it comes to Teagan. She makes the smartest, cutest and funniest comments ever! And her little voice is just precious.

She has a great vocabulary (yes, I’m bragging) and has a great sense of humor.

Some of my recent favorite Teagan sayings:

1) Daddy drinks a grande drip, no room, with a couple of honeys.

2) I’m a super hero princess and I save paper.

3) GUYS! That’s not sharing! We need a big family hug. (She usually says this if hubbie and I are having a disagreement.)

But last night she said something that wasn’t so cute. She wasn’t happy at the fact that I wouldn’t let her get her way so, with arms crossed, she exclaimed, “You are not my friend!” Initially my heart sunk and I felt sad…but then I snapped out of it and thought, where did she learn that? I quickly explained that what she said was a hurtful statement and I frowned to show her my disapproval.

Kids absorb everything, don’t they? Words, emotions, tones, and won’t think twice about repeating stuff. I know kids her age might not fully understand the meaning of the words but kids can pick up emotions and feelings of what is being said. Obviously, Teagan connected the statement, “You are not my friend” with the way she felt at the time. I realize that she’ll probably repeat some words we won’t be happy to hear. I also realize that parenting isn’t always going to be a “couple of honeys”. Thankfully there are more cute moments then not. I’m nervous about sending her off to school! What are the kids talking about there?

I’ve tried various brands of diapers. Huggies, Pampers, Generic Brands, etc. I’ve always come back to Pampers. Sometimes I’d stray for a impassable deal on Huggies but Teagan always wound up leaking in Huggies. And she seemed to get a recurring diaper rash with Huggies. One feature I did like was Huggie’s shape. She didn’t get that diaper hang like she sometimes gets with Pampers. Another bonus is Pamper’s Rewards Programs. I collect the Gifts to Grow codes and accrue points with every diaper package/wipes purchase. So far I’ve redeemed points for free Shutterfly products. Whoo-hoo! I can’t wait for diapers to be a thing of the but Pampers get our vote.

What brand do you use? And why?

One, two, three…

One of cool mommy friends, Dariela, told me that I’ve let my Spanish talk with Izzy go off the deep end. This was after Dari asked Izzy, “Izzy, quieres jugo de manzana?” She asked her if she would like some apple juice. Izzy said, “I want apple” and pointed at the bottle Dari was offering.

When Izzy was born, I promised myself that I was going to speak to her exclusively in Spanish. This rule applied to her teachers at day care, Grandma Loly, my mother, and myself. Unfortunately, my friends have noticed the change and have given me a nudge. Nudge noted.

Since last week, I’ve been speaking to her in Spanish and boy it’s hard work. Kids are extremely smart; so don’t underestimate the amount of languages they can absorb.

Izzy understands Spanish, but will not speak it. My goal is for her to be bilingual – fluent in both Spanish and English. Speaking to her in Spanish is easy, but I keep on catching myself saying words in English. Her favorite word right now is “Moco” – booger. Yes, booger is the only word she is more than happy to say over and over.

I just recently read a post on Spanglish Baby’s blog called “Loss of the Heritage Language” and it really opened my eyes. This post is about the loss of one’s native language through the generations; the language your parents, grandparents grew up speaking and for me it’s Spanish. Izzy is my first-generation American born daughter and I don’t ever want her to loss the Language and the Heritage I grew up with.

Here’s what I plan to teach Izzy in the following weeks:

• Numeros = Numbers
• Colores = Colors
• Animales = Animals
• Frutas = Fruits
• Partes del cuerpo = Body parts
• Comidas = Foods

Did any of you eat Jiffy Pop Popcorn when you were younger? I remember anticipating the popping sound and waiting impatiently for that silver dome to grow. I actually bought one not too long ago but it was a total disappointment. Do kernels go bad? The silver ball never expanded and the kernels were burnt. Anyway, I love popcorn and one night I had a craving for it. We decided to pop our own kernels instead of throwing in microwaveable popcorn. I actually have a bag of kernels that have been kicking around for a while. I grabbed some oil, a pan and did a “make the popcorn pop dance” for Teagan. Her eyes grew large when the popping began. A few minutes later we had some nice fluffy popcorn. I let her throw in some Earth Balance Buttery Spread (!) and we filled our popcorn containers. YUMMY! What are some things you like to top your popcorn with? Let us know in the comments section.

Fun Quote: “Every once in a while, someone will mail me a single popcorn kernel that didn’t pop. I’ll get out a fresh kernel, tape it to a piece of paper and mail it back to them.” Orville Redenbacher

My printer has turned into a shelf for various nick knacks and it’s collecting quite a substantial amount of dust. Ok, here’s the deal. I hate replacing ink once it’s run out. I’d rather buy a new updated photo printer since the price is somewhat comparable to replacing ink cartridges. We actually did that with our last two printers! I guess I can compare it to leasing a car. Trade it in when the lease has run out. But seriously, I’ve tried generic ink and it was awful. Plus brand name ink is pricey! Especially when you have to buy 6 cartridges. I take lots of pictures so that means lots of ink usage. Who knows – maybe I haven’t fallen in love with a printer to really give it a second chance. Printing pics at home is convenient. Although sometimes I think it’s just cheaper to upload pics to Shutterfly. I have been itching to print a bunch of recent pics of Teagan. (Sigh) What to do? You can call me silly…just one of my oddities…but for now my printer is a shelf which holds a snow globe, picture, a toad washboard instrument thingy amongst other random items.  And the dust….

Tee