Surprisingly, having sweet little Ellia after her 3 brothers has meant that this mama hasn't had too do much in the way of shopping for cute little girly clothes...family and friends have been extremely generous in that department. With a myriad of boys clothes as hand-me-downs, I guess they wanted to make sure that I didn't dress her in a barrage of fire trucks and trains! As a practical mama, I don't see the point of buying extra outfits myself just for the sake of buying them if she already has plenty from other people...especially given the rate at which she's been growing and blowing through sizes. However,
I must admit that I have been secretly coveting these adorable dresses from Sweet Tea Dresses for about a month now. Fortunately for me, Sprinkles is hosting a giveaway for one of these very dresses! I adore the simple pillowcase design and use of high quality fabrics...and those ribbon ties are to die for :) This super sweet giveaway ends Monday, March 8th.
For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you probably remember a recent post of mine describing the courageous fight of sweet little Layla Grace, a 2 year old angel currently battling Stage IV Neuroblastoma. For those stopping by for the first time, you can read her story HERE as told by her mother, Shanna.
For each mouse, slice a small section from the side of a strawberry so it sits flat.
Press a mini chocolate chip into the tip for a nose, using a small dab of icing to secure it in place, if needed.
Add icing eyes and stick 2 almond slivers into the top of the berry for ears.
For a tail, use a toothpick to carve a small hole in the back of the berry and push the end of a piece of licorice lace into the hole. Serve these berry cute treats with small triangles of cheese.
Slice two pieces of fruit that are relatively the same size and alternately stack the pieces, as shown.
Your child can't help the famously ravenous caterpillar turn into a butterfly, but she can help him metamorphose into a pizza! Shaping and topping dough are perfect jobs for a (supervised) young chef.
Heat the oven to 400 F. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet so that it extends slightly beyond each end. If needed, let the dough rise according to the package directions. Divide the dough into 15 one-inch balls and combine 3 balls to make the head. Have your child dust her hands with flour, then let her arrange the balls on the cookie sheet and flatten them slightly with her palms.
Press the mushroom slices under the dough for legs, as shown. Brush the dough and mushrooms with olive oil, then bake until the dough is starting to crisp around the edges, about 10 minutes.
While the dough bakes, create the caterpillar features from your choice of toppings. We used green peppers and carrots.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Using the parchment paper as a carrier, lift the caterpillar off the cookie sheet and set it on a wire rack. When it's cool enough for your child to touch, let her paint the surface with sauce and arrange the Mozzarella and toppings. Again using the parchment, set the caterpillar back on the cookie sheet and bake it until the cheese is just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Let it cool slightly, slice, and serve.
