Baseball Birthday Party

Baseball Birthday Party

With my daughter's birthday coming up, I thought I'd share some photos and ideas from the last party we threw.  Our oldest son turned 3 in April and we decided to do a baseball theme for his party.  I wanted the party to be simple, so we just stuck to baseball park food and snacks and simple decorations.  Little did I know that my cousin would be making centerpieces and banners for the party as well, so the whole thing turned out even nicer than expected.

This was the cake table.  I bought the star candles with the number 3 at Dollar Tree, the cake plate was from Dollar Tree as well.  I bought some plastic baseballs from there and glued 6 of them to the bottom of the cake plate.  The red stitching on the baseball cakes was done with a piping bag and tip.  I found the Braves and Yankees napkins on Oriental Trading.  My husband is a big Braves fan, and I grew up watching the Yankees so I thought it would be cute to incorporate both teams.  The invites looked like baseball tickets, and on them I put: Braves vs. Yankees.  The rubber baseball bases were also from Dollar Tree. I bought the wooden letters with his initials from Hobby Lobby and painted those with the red baseball stitching.  The balloon weights were also from Dollar Tree.

My cousin brought these baseball gloves, popcorn bags filled with popcorn from Dollar Tree and the candy.

I ordered the wide banner from Oriental Trading company, and my aunt made the round baseball sign that they hung on the front gate.  We bought a big bucket of sunflower seed packs from Sam's club and set those out in plastic bowls.

These centerpieces were the ones my cousin made.  She found the baseballs at thrift stores, and some were her boys' old balls.  She put peanuts on the plate around the baseballs, and the popcorn bags around those.  The balloons were from Dollar Tree.

My cousin made the banner.  The food was simple.  In the crock pot, we had queso.  One with New Mexico green chile, and the other with no chile.  We had hot dogs in a larger crock pot and nachos.  For toppings, I chopped lettuce, tomatoes and onions and sliced jalapenos. We bought the 3 pack of condiments from Sam's club with ketchup, mustard and relish.  I also made a large pot of chili with meat and beans.

Here is another banner that my cousin made.  I printed out the autograph sign myself, and bought the inflatable baseball from Oriental trading.  We bought the small baseballs from Big 5 with 2 display cases to keep them in.  Each guest signed the small baseballs with a black pen, and the large one with neon sharpies.  I wanted them to use the neon sharpies so that we could use the inflatable ball when we're doing black light activities for his visual impairment. 

All in all the party turned out really nice and everybody had a good time.  We had one hot dog left and a few cupcakes.  With my daughter's birthday coming up soon, I will be posting pics and ideas from her party as well.  We will be doing a Parisian theme, so I'm very excited to blog about hers next time.

Until then,

Trad Cat Mama

Meatless Friday: Bean and Potato Taquitos

Bean and Potato Taquitos

My husband and I usually eat out on Fridays for our weekly date nights, but I usually still end up making dinner for my mom and the kids so that she won't have to worry about making dinner while babysitting.  This week, I had made a large crock pot full of pinto beans, so my mom requested bean tostadas.  However, I would like to prepare something that will be easier for her to heat up and prepare and that she won't have to assemble herself, so I'll be making these cheesy bean and potato taquitos.

1 8oz package of corn tortillas

2 potatoes

1 cup cooked pinto beans

Cheese to taste

Red chile sauce to taste (if you don't have new mexico red chile available in your area, you can substitute your favorite salsa or hot sauce)

Oil for frying

Your choice of dip: guacamole, salsa, queso, sour cream, etc.

Peel and small dice the potato.  Put in a small saucepan and cover with water.  Boil until soft enough to smash, but not too mushy, like for potato salad.  Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, cumin and paprika.  Smash your beans in a separate skillet or saucepan and add the red chile, salsa or hot sauce until your desired heat level.  I like to soften the tortillas in the microwave for about 10-12 seconds before putting the filling that way the tortilla doesn't crack when you roll it up.  To assemble, spread a layer of beans on 1/2 of the tortilla.  Spoon some of the potatoes down the length of the beans.  Sprinkle cheese on top and roll up.  Repeat until you use up your filling.  Heat your oil in a skillet and fry the taquitos a few at a time, until golden brown and crispy.  You can freeze them at this stage, or refrigerate until later, or you can enjoy right away.  If you set the taquitos aside, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.  Bake the taquitos for about 15 minutes, or until sizzling.

Happy Friday!

Trad Cat Mama

Toddler Recipe of the Week: Oatmeal

Toddler Approved Oatmeal

I'm not a big oatmeal eater to begin with, so I have to make it tasty to enjoy eating it in the mornings.  Growing up, my mom always topped our oatmeal with cinnamon, sugar and lots of milk, to the point where our oatmeal resembled a bowl of cold cereal.  I loved it as a kid, but grew tired of it as I got older.  So I started searching for different oatmeal toppings to make it more appealing to myself.  I like my oatmeal a little thicker now that I'm older, and my daughter seems to like it that way too.  Plus it's a lot less messy to feed her since it holds together on the spoon.  She loves all of the oatmeal I make her, so these are definitely toddler approved recipes.  I love that oatmeal can be a great mini meal for pregnancy and postpartum when I just need to get something into my system.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal

1 serving oatmeal, cooked (I prefer instant packets of plain oatmeal, but you can use whatever kind you like)

1T. Ovaltine

1T. peanut butter (if it's for a young toddler, make sure to use smooth peanut butter to prevent choking)

After getting my oatmeal to the consistency that I like, I swirl in the Ovaltine and peanut butter.  This is very delicious, high in protein, and not too bad for you, considering the Ovaltine has lots of added vitamins and minerals. Some additional toppings you may want to add are diced bananas, berries, pomegranate seeds, or maybe even some shredded coconut.

Cinnamon and Sugar Oatmeal

1 serving oatmeal, cooked

a few dashes of cinnamon

1t. brown sugar

1 t. butter

Melt in the butter once the oatmeal is your desired consistency, then stir in the cinnamon and sugar.  This is a classic way to eat oatmeal.  For added  nutrition, you can stir in 2T. raisins or cooked apples.  The raisins usually soften enough to feed your toddler as well.

Fruit and Yogurt Oatmeal

1 serving oatmeal, cooked

1/2 cup fruit

1/4 cup yogurt (plain or flavored)

1 t. honey for sweetness (if desired)

Swirl in the toppings.  I would recommend making the oatmeal a little thicker than you would normally like since the yogurt may thin it out a little bit.  You can always add more milk or water if it's still too thick.  For myself, I also like to add some toasted sliced almonds, about 2T.

Bon Appetit!
Trad Cat Mama

Toddler Recipe of the Week: Pasta Primavera

Toddler Recipe of the Week

It's not often that my kids eat whatever I make for them, so when I find a recipe that they like, I will share the recipe with you all.  I don't mind adding a little healthy fat to my kids' meals, but that's just a personal preference.  If you want, you can omit that from the recipe. For my daughter, who is 23 months old, I added cheese, and for my 9 month old who has mastered mashing his food in his mouth, I leave the cheese out.  I tend to overcook their foods a little bit so that they can chew their food easier.  I find that they want to eat more when the food is easier to mash.  It's almost as though having to chew diminishes their appetite. Anyway, here is my recipe this week.  I hope your kid likes it as much as mine did.

Toddler Pasta Primavera

1/2 cup uncooked Orzo pasta

1 cup frozen veggies, chopped into small baby sized pieces

6 cups chicken stock

Freshly ground black pepper

Parsley

Parmegiano Reggiano (optional)

1 T. Olive oil or butter

First, bring the chicken stock to a boil.  Add the chopped veggies and boil for 10 minutes.  After the first 10 minutes, add the pasta and cook 1-2 minutes longer than package directions.  You want the pasta softer than you would make yourself so your baby can chew the pasta easier.  After the pasta is cooked, drain the chicken stock.  Season with olive oil or butter, pepper and parsley.  If your toddler is old enough to eat  cheese, sprinkle a little over their serving.

*For dinner I added some pinto beans that I had made in crock pot, with excellent results. They ate even more with the beans added.

Bon Appetit!
Trad Cat Mama

Why I Chose to Stop Wearing Pants in Public

Why I Don't Wear Pants in Public Anymore

Let's face it, everybody views modesty differently.  It can mean covering your private areas, not wearing see-through clothing, covering yourself from knee to neck, or in some cultures, covering yourself from head to toe.  Muslim women often wear long tunic tops over pants, while others wear a full hijab.  So to me, the decision to turn away from pants had some basis in modesty, but mostly it was a lifestyle decision.

1. Faith and Religion

I would be lying if I said my decision to forsake pants didn't have its roots at least a little bit in my Catholic faith.  However, I'm not about to start quoting scripture from Deuteronomy or anywhere else in the Bible.  There are many verses that we do follow as a family, I'm sure there are just as many that we don't follow.  Much has changed culturally since those passages were written, so to hide behind scripture for your lifestyle choices is usually a little hypocritical.  

I was raised wearing both pants and dresses.  Although my mom did object to certain articles of clothing, I don't remember ever having clear guidelines on what was appropriate and what wasn't.  "Modesty" was for the super religious, and just wasn't a subject discussed in our household,  even though we were practicing Novus Ordo Catholics and part time Traditional Catholics. I remember having cousins who were raised with a super strict standard of modesty similar to the Duggars' early days:

Most of the Traditional Catholics we knew wore similar extreme styles that were outside the times, with no consideration for the demands of fashion.  To me, that was ridiculous.  There is no way one can live in the world and put their family on display everywhere they go for the sake of modesty.  To me, there had to be a better way.  I started questioning my modesty standards as a teenager when I started cultivating my own private prayer life.  As I prayed for my future husband, I started to think about what kind of wife I would like to be, and what kind of wife my future husband might be praying for.  I still wore pants, but I started wearing longer tops, more sleeves and longer shorts. 

After I was engaged to my husband, there was a handout that I saw at church called "The Marylike Standards of Modesty in Dress" and it is written by the Sisters of the Society of Saint Pius X in Browerville, MN.  In it, there were clear guidelines on what modest dress really meant.  I felt like I was already following those things, but then there was a passage about pants: "Girls, dress like true women and daughters of the Virgin Mary.  Be courageous enough to get rid of all your pants and shorts.  Show that you are proud to be what God has made you! This is your glory before Him and before others."  This made me think.  Wearing dresses wasn't entirely about being modest, but about being feminine.  

2. Embracing Femininity, and Modeling Modest Behavior

I still didn't have the courage to fully transition.  I bought a few more dresses, but mainly wore pants when we weren't at church or when we were out running errands.  After I had my daughter, my heart started to change.  I wanted to be a role model for her and to show her how to be a good woman.  To me, the natural thing to do was to dress her in skirts and dresses so that people could distinguish her as a girl.  Even when she was in head to toe pink, if she was wearing pants, people would still ask if she was a boy.  She's used to wearing dresses every day which can be a great teaching tool.  When you wear a skirt or a dress, you can't go around hanging upside down or sitting with your legs open.  Now that she's little, I put shorts and leggings under her skirts as she's still learning what ladylike behavior is.

After seeing all of the girls nowadays wearing leggings as pants, and crop tops with short shorts, I decided that I wanted to make the transition.  I didn't want my daughter or my sons to grow up believing that was a normal way for a lady to dress.  For me, to be a strong feminine role model for my children,  I needed to dress like a woman and embrace all things feminine.  That also meant embracing my role as a mother and wife, and cheerfully carrying out my responsibilities each day.  

3. I Feel More Put Together

I still love to wear my yoga pants when I work out, and leggings are great layering pieces under skirts in the winter, but wearing them all day makes me feel lazy and frumpy.  When I'm wearing a skirt or a dress, even if I haven't had the chance to do my hair or make-up, I feel prettier.  I'm more motivated to start my day because I actually feel like I got dressed that day.  

4. Comfort and Versatility

I have been able to wear most of my skirts and dresses through all three pregnancies, postpartum and in my skinny days.  In the summer, they're light and airy and don't cling to my sweaty legs like jeans often do. In the winter, with the right layering, they still look dressy but are far warmer than any pair of jeans or sweats that I've ever owned.  If I wear them in pregnancy, they don't cut into my gut when my belly expands, and if the skirt is long enough, I can wear the skirt above my belly for a different look.  Since we're planning on having at least a few more kids, I can save myself a lot of work and a lot of money since I won't have to be constantly switching between a maternity wardrobe and a regular wardrobe.

So, these are some of the main reasons why I don't wear pants out in public anymore.  I understand that not everybody has the lifestyle I do and therefore might have reasons to wear pants more often than I do.  Also, being that I grew up wearing pants, I know there are many ways of dressing modestly in pants and shorts.  Some people are also just more comfortable in leggings and yoga pants than in a skirt, and that's perfectly fine.  Everybody has a right to dress the way they think is appropriate.  God gave us all free will for a reason, and I think that gives humankind a beautiful diversity.  For those of you who are on the fence, like I was, or who just may be curious as to why some women choose to dress this way, this post was intended for you.  I hope you can take something positive from my experiences and make your own choice on the matter for what is fitting for you and your lifestyle.

Until Next Time,

Trad Cat Mama

My Pregnancy Must Haves

Pregnancy Must Haves From a Mama of Three

Having been through pregnancy a few times before, I have now come to rely on a few tried and true must haves. Some of these I have used through all three pregnancies, and some I've only recently found to be helpful in my fourth.  I hope some of these can help some of you out in your pregnancies.

 

1. Skin Elasticity/ Stretch Mark Prevention

Stretch marks starting to fade during my 3rd pregnancy; after I started my stretch mark remedies.

 

During my 1st pregnancy, I used an all natural cocoa butter lotion throughout the first two trimesters to prevent stretch marks.  After getting a few stretch marks I was disheartened and stopped using the lotion, thinking that there was nothing I could do.  For my second pregnancy, I didn't use any type of stretch mark cream, oil or lotion because I thought it was pointless.  Well, come to find out, not using anything at all led me to get three times as many stretch marks as in my first pregnancy.  Not only that, but a friend of mine who became pregnant with twins claimed that she didn't get any stretch marks at all.

 

I was on a mission to find the best products/remedies I could find to not only get rid of the stretch marks that I already had, but to prevent getting any future ones.  After reading several articles and blogs, I settled on these products.  I did fade a few of my old stretch marks during my third pregnancy, plus I never got any new stretch marks in that pregnancy.  I will detail my routine after talking about the products.

 

The first three products are by Palmer's.  I like to use their Tummy Butter, Cocoa Butter Oil for Dry Itchy Skin, and for postpartum belly skin, I used their Skin Firming Lotion. Their tummy butter is truly a miracle.  After just a few days of using it, I started seeing my stretch marks begin to fade.  A little goes a long way so if you buy the three pack from Amazon like I did, it should last you at least a year and a half.  I used it all through pregnancy number 3 and every day postpartum as I lost weight and tightened up my skin.
 

Which brings me to their skin firming lotion.  I started using this the day our second son was born.  I'm not sure how much of an effect it had on my skin firming up, but I'd like to think it helped.  My skin was almost back to normal when I got pregnant this time around and I was about 8 months postpartum, so by a year postpartum, I'm guessing it would have toned up quite a bit.

Their cocoa butter oil is a godsend.  It comes in a convenient spray bottle, so there's no spilling or messes when applying it.  It really helped with the itchiness as my belly expanded and added some good moisture to my skin, further preventing any stretch mark damage.  They say the itchiness comes from your skin needing moisture, so applying the oil seems to make the most sense instead of scratching up your skin.

 

I also used a sugar scrub in the shower with almond oil, baby oil with aloe and vitamin E, and Olay Age Defying body wash.  Exfoliating with a scrub during and after pregnancy is supposed to increase circulation in your skin, increasing elasticity and aiding in recovery.  The aloe and vitamin E in the baby oil is supposed to further nourish the skin.

 

Lastly, snacking on lots of fresh fruits and veggies and drinking tons of water nourishes your skin from the inside out.  I bought myself a 1/2 gallon water bottle, and drank two of those a day. 

So every day in the shower I would apply the sugar scrub to my tummy, butt and legs. (I tried applying it to my boobs, but the skin is more sensitive there, so I broke out in a rash) After rinsing off the scrub, I would wash with body wash.  After shaving and spending time on my hair, I would turn off the water and immediately rub the baby oil all over my body before getting out of the shower.

Once I got out, I would apply the tummy butter to my boobs and tummy.  After I had the baby, I would mix the skin firming lotion with the tummy butter in my palm, then rub into my belly.  I usually let that set in my skin as I applied lotion to my legs and finished getting ready.  After it was absorbed, I would put on my Squeem belly binder and get dressed.  Throughout the day as my belly itched, I kept the cocoa butter oil nearby in case I needed a little spritz every now and then.

 

2. Pelvic girdle pain/ sciatic nerve pain

I absolutely had to have an abdominal support belt during all three pregnancies.  During the third trimester of all my pregnancies, the weight of the baby just sits right on my pubic area and sometimes causes sharp pains in my hips and groin area when standing up.  I found a Motherhood Maternity belt at a second hand baby and maternity store for about $5.  You can certainly buy yours new, but most maternity and baby things are practically brand new when other people stop using them so it made sense to me just to buy it used. 

 

I also splurged in my third pregnancy and bought some pregnancy support tanks from the Gap.  Sadly, I can't find them anymore, but you can search Amazon for similar ones.

 

3. Morning sickness/Nausea

This, my 4th pregnancy, has been the worst as far as pregnancy symptoms go. I've been very nauseous throughout the day, and can't seem to find much to eat that looks appetizing.  For the first 7 weeks the only things that would settle my stomach were ramen noodles (Oriental flavor), Jell-O cups, Chef Boyardee and PowerAde.

I found a sour patch kids flavored gum to chew on that helped with the nausea.  Also, warheads hard candies helped a lot.  Sour candies in general are supposed to keep nausea at bay.  I tried cutting out coffee, thinking it was making me sick, but after I stopped drinking it, I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open, and my nausea increased tremendously.  So I stick to 1 cup per day.  I'm still trying to manage it without medication so if I do happen to start taking something for the nausea I will add an update on whether or not it helped.

4. Modest Maternity Wardrobe

Seeing as how we are traditional Catholic, I knew there was a good chance I could be pregnant and nursing for quite a few years so starting a versatile maternity wardrobe that is also modest was a challenge. 

Some basic staples you should stock up on are camisoles (especially the ones with the built in shelf bra), stretchy cotton tees, and several lengths of leggings.  I like the short leggings during the summer because they keep my thighs from rubbing, and the long ones keep my legs warm under skirts in the winter, especially the fleece ones. 

Things you should invest in are nursing bras, half tees and some scrunchy skirts from Sexy Modest Boutique.  The half tees are great for layering under spaghetti straps, and the scrunchy skirts can stretch over your pregnant belly but then shrink back down after you have your baby.  I've just basically replaced all of my old bras with nursing bras since you can wear them whether you're nursing or not.  Once I've stopped nursing completely, then I'll start buying normal bras.

Me wearing the patriotic scrunchy skirt from Sexy Modest boutique, paired with a half tee. I wore a nude colored support tank underneath because the half tee was a little see-through, but the support was nice for my big belly.

 

 

I also love maxi skirts and maxi dresses because they look good on me pregnant or not.  I don't bother buying the maternity versions because there isn't really much difference.  If you like to wear pants or shorts, then the maternity kind are probably your best bet.

Cardigans are great for layering over camisoles or nursing tanks.  If you buy the camisoles with the built in bra, most of the time you can get away with not wearing a nursing bra and you can just pull it down without having to unstrap anything else to nurse your baby.

In the winter, I like to buy cowl neck or V-neck sweaters to layer over tanks for nursing.  Any stretchy type of sweater works great for pregnancy and beyond.

 

I will probably invest in a maternity coat this time around.  I tried to just buy a bigger coat in my 1st pregnancy, but I felt like a huge whale wearing it.  So this time around I think it would be worth the extra money.

 

That's all I could think of for now.  If I think of any more I will update this post.  What are some your pregnancy must haves?

 

Until next time,

Trad Cat Mama