Georgia and I just spent a lazy morning crafting bookmarks for Father’s Day. They were inspired by the FedEx Out of Office blog. From gift and craft ideas to spring cleaning and party planning tips, the blog provides innovative projects that anyone can tackle. With Father’s Day and the summer right around the corner, Out of Office features tips on how to turn photos and children’s artwork into great presents and fun craft projects kids can create on their own. The blog also has weekly round-ups of some of the best project ideas from around the Web.

The men in our family are all readers, so Georgia is making her Daddy and Poppa bookmarks for Father’s Day. FedEx Office Out of Office blog has a quick and easy project idea – personalized bookmarks! This is a great craft project for kids to make and can be made with anything and everything from old photos or wrapping paper, to magazine clippings or scrapbook paper remnants.

We used the following to get started:

• 4 templates
• Ribbon
• Stickers
• Crayons

Start by cutting out your bookmark template. Next, gather craft supplies and get to crafting! For inspiration, check out the cute bookmarks shown as examples on Out of Office: http://outofoffice.fedex.mediacdt.com

There are tons of other great crafts with templates at the FedEx Out of Office blog. I know Sam will enjoy making the Kites (me too!).

MK xo
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“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office and received the items necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Well, it’s what was for dinner a couple of nights ago. By popular demand I am going to show you how to go about making the salad/pizza dish and cornbread salad that I made at the Kraft Kitchens with Chef Harry Crane and Danielle of foodmomiac.

I’ll start with the ‘Bistro Salad/Pizza‘ combo (cornbread salad coming soon)! Mmmmm!

Prep: 6 minutes / Total time: 22 minutes

I think the beauty of this meal (besides the great taste), is the presentation. It looks good. In reality, you could just pop the pizza in the oven and serve up the salad on the side, but it’s better this way. It’s attractive! You could fool guests into thinking you’re somewhat sophisticated. Well I could! Then again, you should see my friends.

OK, so maybe this isn’t so much a recipe as a serving suggestion! When I was cooking at the Kraft Kitchens, we used a Kraft Digiorno Flat Bread Pizza, in Canada we have Kraft Delissio Ultimate Pizza (see photo above).

Follow the instructions on the box! I know, I know … I told you it’s more of a serving suggestion than a recipe.

Mr. MK forces encourages me to save the cardboard inserts, they come in handy when you take the pizza out of the oven, especially because you have to cook them right on the oven rack. There good for slicing up the pizza on too.

While the pizza is cooking, you can get the salad going.

Pretend, there are pine nuts in this photo. I didn’t notice they were missing until is was too late! I used: organic baby arugala, red onion, Kraft feta cheese, pine nuts and Kraft balsamic vinaigrette.

I used about 4 cups of lettuce.

You’ll need about a 1/4 cup of finely sliced red onion.

Don’t start eating the Kraft feta cheese before you add 1/4 cup to the salad, you won’t be able to stop. Damn this is good (just sayin’).

You’ll need some pine nuts, about 1/4 cup will work.

You guessed it, add a 1/4 cup of Kraft balsamic vinaigrette. Don’t put the dressing on the salad until the pizza is closed to being done, you want a nice crisp salad.

Toss!

**NOTE: I didn’t write down the ingredient quantities when I was helping with this dish at Kraft. The quantities in this post are my own guest’imations. It tasted great (if you don’t like it, you can blame me). I’ve made the salad a THREE times now (with other meals), the 2nd and 3rd times I didn’t measure, it was just as good. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Slice and pull the pieces back from each other about 1/2″.

At the Kraft Kitchens Chef Crane, had a very nice wooden serving-board to serve the pizza on. I don’t, so I used a large wooden cutting board. It worked.

What did the kids and Mr. MK think?

Umm, I think they liked it!

MK xo
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[Note: No compensation was made for the writing/publishing of this post. The writings and opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine only, and not influenced in any way by any corporation or any individual.]

If it wasn’t obvious from my last post … I am kind of partial to Sam’s longer hair. I took all of your advice though, and let him make his own choice. Check out his choice below.

We were a day late going to the barber … yesterday afternoon I was temporarily paralyzed and lost feeling and the ability to move in both my arms and chest area. VERY SCARY! I’ve had this really weird tingling in my arms (and legs) for quite awhile. I spent last evening in emergency and today getting tests. I hope to have an MRI in the next couple of days. The consensus of the doctors that I have seen is that I have a space-occupying lesion near the C8 vertebrae (even after research … I can’t quite pinpoint what that is … I think it could be many things), but of course there are no answers until the MRI is done. *sigh*

Sam before cut.

It took quite awhile to get rid of all that hair. It was hard to watch …

Still cute :) and feisty!

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You may enter the ‘Rocky Mountain Soap *Alpine Breeze* Gift Set Giveaway‘ by commenting on ANY or ALL posts created between April 5th -12th, 2008 (@ 9:59 pm MT).

MK xo
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bumGenius 3.0 Winners are:

Winning Comment –> Reeva
Winning Link –> Profesion Maman

Winners please email me: kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com with your name and address and top 3 color choices and I’ll pop your cloth diaper in the mail.

***

MommyKnows is going on the road this weekend. The good news is, I’m taking you all with me – Well virtually of course.

I’m taking you skiing. Don’t worry you won’t be cold … the temps are about 40f (5c), the skies are blue. It’s going to be perfect.

Be ready to go @ 6 pm tomorrow.

Gotta pack.

MK xo
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As the temps rise and the snow melts, our walk to and from school is becoming difficult to manuever.

Georgia is attracted to ‘ALL’ bodies of water big or small.


She likes to STOMP in it!

She likes to JUMP in it!

She enjoys RUNNING over frozen water.

Even if it’s SLIPPERY! Ooops! Get up you’re OK.

Did I mention I have trouble keeping up with the laundry?

She likes to STAND beside icy water. Be very careful Georgia. I don’t want you to fall in …

Yikes, too late! She also SITS in water (not so sure she likes it though).

Did I mention I have trouble keeping up with the laundry? I did? Sorry!

***
Remember: there’s just a few hours left for:

You may enter the ‘bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper Giveaway‘ by commenting on ANY or ALL posts between February 24th, 2007 and February 27th, 2008 (@ 9:59 pm MT).
MK xo
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This blog365 thing is really a HUGE commitment. I hate to fail, so regardless of the fact that I am tired, I will blog anyway. I couldn’t face you all again if I failed the blog365 challenge in February … I KNOW I can make it further than that.

It’s been a really busy day. I had a total of 4 hours of sleep last night. For some strange reason I found it necessary to stay awake to watch Far and Away (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman). A film that I wasn’t crazy about the first two times I watched it, but for some reason the 3rd time around it was quite fascinating, except for Tom Cruise’s terrible Irish accent –> “You’re a corker, Shannon. What a corker you are” – GAG!

**I am writing frantically – I am not stopping – There is no period, because I am going to give you one long, long, exhausting sentence … here we go –>

I walked the kids to school and took the long route home, I took the long route because I so need to do something about my size (LARGE going on Xlarge), I picked up the sitter, did shipping labels, did laundry, fixed printer, fixed computer, fixed printer, had Mr. MK fix network problem, went to the warehouse, packed orders, counted stock, home to pick up the sitter and Georgia, picked up Sam and Liz from school, dropped the sitter off at her 2nd job, then drove home, made an early supper, checked email, answered customer service issues, fed the kids the early supper (are you tired yet?), did dishes, prepared the kids for an evening at a friends, rendezvous with friend who is watching the children while Mr. MK and I are out a Rotary function, swap cars with friend, in order for her to look after my children and get hers to soccer she needs a bigger vehicle (mine), Georgia falls in large puddle at the car swap and has to be taken home for clean coat, boot, jeans, shirt and to rinse her hair, finish car swap and finally get children to friend (clean and dry), shower, dress, makeup, hair, argue with Mr. MK about his messy ensemble, drive to function, spend 3 hours at rotary function, drive to friends to get children back, visit with friend, pick up tired children, drive home, walk in door, send children to bed, sit down at computer, frantically search through old photo’s looking for one that will work for a ’30 Tiny Moments’, realize that there isn’t one, wish I had take even one picture today, wish I had taken one of Georgia lying in the lake mud puddle, tell myself to quit wishing for things that aren’t going to happen, consider taking pictures now (could push kids in puddle for reenactment), decide not to, realize that I will not post 30 x ’30 Tiny Moments’ 30 days in a row, accept failure (I’m Not Going to Make It), decide to write about it, writing, right NOW.

I’m going to bed … 5:30 comes early.

***
Remember: there’s just one day left for:

You may enter the ‘bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper Giveaway‘ by commenting on ANY or ALL posts between February 24th, 2007 and February 27th, 2008 (@ 9:59 pm MT).
MK xo
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Me: Do you promise to play with and *love* the cake I made you? Do you promise to quit muttering, “I wanted a phone” every time you look at it?

She’s still out there — Kidding!

***
You may enter the ‘bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper Giveaway‘ by commenting on ANY or ALL posts between February 24th, 2007 and February 27th, 2008 (@ 9:59 pm MT).
MK xo
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Well one small contrary person.

Georgia asked me to make her a play cake today. We looked on the internet and she pointed out the largest cake possible, I reluctantly agreed. After an early supper, I sat down and made her this cake.

Several hours later … I presented it to her with a big –> TaDA!

I expected cheering and clapping. Instead, I received this sort of reaction …

God give me strength!
***
You may enter the ‘bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper Giveaway‘ by commenting on ANY or ALL posts between February 24th, 2007 and February 27th, 2008 (@ 9:59 pm MT).
MK xo
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Georgia is my last baby and I am not in a hurry for her to grow up. With my oldest, I could hardly wait for the next ‘new’ stage. It makes me a little bit sad, instead of enjoying the moment, I was always pushing her to do more.

My grandma always used to tell me, not to ‘wish my life away’. I’d always get kind of cranky with her when she’d say it. SHEESH, Grandma, is it wrong to want it to be Friday already? If you’re up there Grandma, I get now – really I do.

It’s taken me 2 1/2 years to breakdown and give Georgia a hair cut. Well not really 2 1/2, she didn’t really have hair the first year. Today after her bath, as I yanked on her matted hair trying to comb out all the tangles (while she cried and begged for mercy) – I decided it was time. I had planned to take her to a salon to have it done properly, but being the impatient sort (and the lazy sort) … I decided it needed done right NOW.

Mr. MK is home sick, so I hauled him out of bed to assist and photograph. I think he was worried. Relax dude, I used to earn drinking money in University cutting hair in the guys dorm.

It really was getting pretty long!


She wasn’t really enthusiastic about the whole ‘cutting’ thing.

Especially when I tried to cut her bangs.

She was amazed when I showed her this.

Then she let me give her a few finishing touches without too much trouble.

She even attempted a smile.

It turned out pretty good. Look at these curls in the back.

Cute, eh?

***

If you’d like to try and win this Pink Grande Diaper Bag, just leave a comment on any post between now and February 20th @ 9:59 pm (mountain time), one winner will be randomly drawn from all the entries.

Bring a friend … please?

MK xo
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Hey, are you still here? Go on … beat it … shows over! Go on home … there’s nothin’ left to see!

Sorry ladies, I’ll have a talk with her about her bad attitude!

The Winners of the Peanut Shell Giveaway are:

Winning Link: Little Miss Mel
Winning Commenter: Tara Chase

Winners please email me: kim @ mommyknows (dot) com with your name, address and sling / cover sizes and fabric preference (www.goo-ga.com) — please give your first choice and a couple of alternatives for the fabric please.

Congratulations.

***

Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

I am taking the above with a grain of salt — try it out and let me know if you’re more woman than I!

***

You could WIN this great Bumkins Grande Diaper Bag from www.thebabymarketplace.com and Bumkins.

These light yet sturdy bags feature a water resistant fabric, durably constructed with light padding and a reinforced bottom. Change the look of the bag completely when you flip it inside-out to show the solid brown. The Grande has eight convenient pockets inside and out, and comes with a change pad. Sized at 15″W x 12″H x 6″D.

The bag I am giving away is the pink version (NOT blue), the good news is: it’s reversible:

You can flip it to brown if you have a boy. I really don’t get it though, the new trendy diaper bags are for you mom, you should pick a bag that you like, not one that suits the gender of your baby. Just my 2 cents.

If you’d like to try and win this Pink Grande Diaper Bag, just leave a comment on any post between now and February 20th @ 9:59 pm (mountain time), one winner will be randomly drawn from all the entries.

Bring a friend … please?

MK xo
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