Pumpkin's Donut Birthday Party

By Tammy of Musing of a Working Mom

Pumpkin, my oldest, turned 5 this summer and the kid is obsessed with birthday parties. She comes up with so many party themes that she’s got her birthday celebrations planned out for at least the next five years. (If you’re curious, future events may involve Star Wars or roller skating.)

This year, we decided to have her party at the i.d.e.a. Museum, a local children’s museum where we are members. The party includes the room, some decorations and an art project for the kids,  plus admission to the museum all day. It’s pretty low maintenance, but we wanted to put our own spin on it nonetheless, so Pumpkin and I settled on a donut theme. She loves donuts! (But who doesn’t?)

She helped me pick out the plates, napkins, straws and candle from our favorite local party store, Petite Party Studio, and the canisters for the donut holes from Michael’s.  We ordered invitations and a banner from Etsy.

I wanted to include her in the planning because she definitely has her own ideas about how things should be, but I wanted to have a few surprises, too.

Donut Shirt

Pumpkin didn’t know until the day before the party (her actual birthday when she opened gifts at home) that I ordered her a special shirt to wear. Funny story – remember earlier when I told you she loves birthdays? Well, on her birthday, she woke up at 1:30 in the morning ready to start the day. Luckily, my husband was able to get her back to sleep. Then on the day of the party she woke up and got dressed in her new shirt before ever coming out of her room. She still needed a shower before the party so I had her change pack into pajamas, but we were cracking up because this is something we ask her to do every day before school but she has only ever done it once or twice before – she was just so excited for her party!  

Cake
She knew I would be picking up donuts and donut holes for the party, and serving flavored milks for the kids and cold brew for the grown-ups. She didn’t know that I also ordered chocolate cake (her favorite!) shaped like a donut. It was a hit!

Donut Seed Favor Bags
I will confess that I’m not a huge fan of party favors because our kids have so much stuff already. (In fact, we usually ask our guests not to bring gifts, although this year Pumpkin requested donations instead.) When we’ve done parties before, the gifts have been edible, and they were this year as well! She picked her favorite patterns of Bumkins’ small snack bags as favors (which I love because they are reusable and machine washable, and she loves because they have her favorite characters). The surprise for Pumpkin was what I put inside – donut seeds! These were simply strawberry and chocolate Cheerios mixed together. We rarely get chocolate cereal (this was actually probably a first in our house since we’ve had kids) so the girls were pretty excited.

Pumpkin had a great time at the party painting and playing with her sister and their friends at the museum – and of course, all the sugar involved! If you can’t splurge a little on your birthday, when can you?

June is Potty Training Month!

The potty training journey is an emotional one for everyone involved. Little ones are eager to become a big kid, but can get frustrated with the process involved. Parents look forward to getting rid of diapers, but it can be a tough realization that you don’t have a little baby anymore.

There are tons of methods people use to reach the end goal, and reading all of the articles could leave you confused and back at the beginning. While we won’t tell you that one is best, we can say that to make the process a bit easier, you’ll want to have the right gear. Here are some of our favorite Bumkins products that have come in handy while we’ve helped our little ones down the sometimes-bumpy road of potty training:

Wet/Dry Bag: Accidents will happen, so it’s best to be prepared. Keep a clean, dry change of clothes handy, and have a place to store the wet, messy clothes with a Wet/Dry Bag. The waterproof back pocket is perfect for clothes, and the front pocket can hold wipes to clean up any messes, toilet seat covers, or any other potty accessories.

Large Snack Bag: As little ones progress, accidents get less frequent and smaller, so you may not need to bring a full change of clothes. Keep extra underpants in a Large Snack Bag, which can then be used to carry the wet ones after changing.

Small Snack Bag: Rewards can be the key in motivating some of the more stubborn children. Whatever forms of currency/bribery you use – M&Ms, lollipops, cookies, stickers – keep a stash at the ready in a Small Snack Bag.

Splat Mat: Sometimes, little ones are so involved in whatever they are playing/watching/reading, they’ll wait too long to make a trip to the potty and an accident can occur. Have them sit on a Splat Mat while they’re focused on their fun and you’ll keep furniture and floors clean and dry.

While some kids take to potty-training quickly, it can take a while for others. Don’t be discouraged! It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you’re in the stall of a public restroom waiting for what seems like forever as your kid does anything but go potty, but know that you will, one day, be able to ditch the diaper bag and enjoy the freedom of a toilet-trained kiddo.

Packing for a Trip with Kids

By Tammy of Musing of a Working Mom

I’ve traveled quite a bit with my oldest daughter, who is almost 5, but a couple weeks ago we had the chance to take a trip – just the two of us – for the first time since her little sister was born. We flew from Phoenix to Reno for a wedding at Lake Tahoe.

Packing for a three-day-weekend with a soon-to-be kindergartener is much lighter than packing for a trip with a baby or a toddler, but there are still some essentials I packed into her backpack (which, of course, I ended up carrying most of the time).

For my kid, who loves to draw and practice writing, this is what I packed in her carry-on:

• Favorite stuffed animals and favorite blanket
• New travel coloring books (some she picked out and one I surprised her with)
• Notepad and pencils/crayons
• Headphones to watch a movie on the plane
• Books (not pictured)
• Change of clothes
• Sweatshirt
• Water bottle (empty before going through security)
• Snacks
• Wet bag (if you need to change clothes, you will likely need the wet bag)

My own carry-on list was a bit different. Using the three-pack set of clear travel bags from Bumkins, I packed the small bag with toiletry items: unscented lotion, lip balm, hair ties, etc. The medium bag I used for electronics: phone chargers, headphones, etc. The large bag I used for snacks – it’s large enough to pack a few snack bars as well as some small Bumkins Snack Bags filled with other treats such as almonds and trail mix.

Other items in my carry-on included:

Water bottle

Travel coffee mug

Sweater

Laptop and DVDs

Since it was a short trip, we shared a suitcase. At the last minute, we actually had to downsize the suitcase because there was a back-up with checked luggage at the airport and we had to carry everything on. The smaller suitcase meant I had to downsize my toiletry bag, so I pulled out just the inside insert and slipped it into a Bumkins Wet Bag in case any liquid items leaked on the flight. (Tip: Don't completely fill any containers with liquid items; leave room for expansion.) We luckily had no leaks and used the wet bag as a laundry bag for the remainder of the trip.

The trip was quick one, but we had a great time visiting family and going to the wedding. My daughter enjoyed splashing around in Lake Tahoe just before we left for the airport, so the change of clothes and wet bag in her backpack worked out perfectly!