v3 issue 39: Vintage Style

Vintage Style


Love the look of yesterday? This issue is for all those vintage lovers with an updated twist.



Cover by Michelle Huesgen








1 Our favorite apron is the Beansoup Cobbler’s Apron! A spin on the 1940’s cobbler’s aprons, these aprons are great for a budding artist or aspiring chef. $34, Beansoup.com.
2 Coral Camelia offers vintage-styled duds that are unique and simply stunning. Their online store has everything from dresses to jackets and complete outfits all handmade by this designer mom. We adore this Sophia bloomers and dress set. Hurry and shop while several pieces are on sale.
3 Shop Matilda & Company when you are in need for unique vintage duds. This Shantung silk bodice dress is just one of the many varieties of vintage styled dresses for your little girl. Choose from vintage styled bubbles for him or her as well as dresses, embroidered bibs and more.
4 We absolutely love Sweet Pea Ink’s line of birthday invites that all have a vintage touch. Mom be sure to check out their notecards, labels and invites…they are sure to delight.
5 This beautiful looking quilt from Orange Peel Baby is made with high quality, 100% cotton fabrics. Each is custom made and their vintage style makes them a timeless treasure for generations.
6 FarmBaby baby wash, lotion and nursery spray are perfect for delicate baby skin. The FarmBaby line is all natural and safe for little ones. Available at Sweetgrassonline.com.
7 Finding a vintage styled diaper bag is tough these days but Kathleen Baby Bags offers a vintage choice with their nutty monkey bag. The outside is a far cry from looking like a baby bag with its leather details but its 8 interior pockets keep your baby needs organized and tidy.

This week's Mom Tips

Organizing Tip:
Wash the dishes and wipe the counters after each meal. It only takes five minutes!
Time Saving Tip:
Get stamps delivered to your mailbox from the United States Postal Service's Postal Store. The same site allows users to calculate postage for packages and print shipping labels right at home.
Financial Tip:
Get rid of 'Universal Default' Credit Cards. A Universal Default credit card issuer reviews your accounts and increases your interest rate anytime you faulter (paying even one day late on your car payment will increase your cc interest rate).
Green Tip:
Assemble a team of co-workers to conduct an energy audit at your workplace. Look for lights and equipment needlessly left on, drafty windows and doors you could insulate, inefficient thermostat settings, and other energy-wasters.


PART THREE: CHEAP, GOOD FUN!

These tips are classic and priceless when it comes to the theme of a kids' party. "Kids will enjoy these parties regardless of the amount of time or the money parents spend," says Kothari. "It's really about going back to the basics and creating a spectacular event out of a remarkably inexpensive activity!"
Hide and Seek Toddler Fun!


If parents are looking for a fun, inexpensive party to organize for their two to three-year-old child, take the simple game of "Hide & Seek" and build a complete set of party activities around the idea of hiding and seeking: loads of fun and low-key. Parties can be so simple for kids at this age. Take a look at the Hide & Seek Fun to be had:

Play Hide & Go Seek, the classic game, of course!

1. If adults will be attending the party, reverse it and have the kids look for their parents.
2. Provide toddler-sized boxes that are either pre-decorated by the parent or that the toddlers can decorate themselves. What a great craft activity! Have them use markers, crayons, etc. to make their own "Jack In the Box." (This can also be the take home goody from the party!)
3. Play Jack In The Box: Have the kids climb into the box and duck down so as not to be seen. Play music, and let the kids pop up just as a Jack In The Box would do.
4. Hide a Pinata that the kids must find in order to enjoy the fun.
5. Have a treasure hunt for chocolate gold coins.
6. Make a mock tent using a large cardboard box and a sheet. Let each kid hide in the tent and pop out surprising the others. Ask them to pop out using their imagination and become a lion, a dog, a cat, etc.
7. Give children boxes of Cracker Jacks to enjoy finding their prizes.
8. Hide candy treats in a batch of cupcakes. The kids will discover the surprise as they enjoy their cake.
9. Play "I Spy."
10. Read some books that have flaps to reveal hidden pictures.
11. Have the kids make creations using Play Dough. Hide some small prizes in each little Play Dough jar for the kids to discover.

There will be plenty of surprises and prizes for the kids to find and take home at this party. This is very low-cost, high fun party for the toddlers. Amazing how a classic game can give a party full of kids a great afternoon.


Fantastic Food Fight for the Tweens on a Shoestring Budget

What a great budget birthday party idea that will be fabulous fun for the kids: a FOOD FIGHT! If the idea interests the parents, here are some ways to put this together:


1. When the kids arrive at the party, for both safety and easy clean up, provide kids with shower caps, plastic goggles, and a rain poncho to wear. These will keep the kids safe and relatively clean throughout the food fight.

2. After they have their outfits on, give the kids a bag of marshmallows and sling shots, and they can start the fun of slinging marshmallows at one another as they wait for everyone to arrive. Make sure the kids are supervised in the designated party area.

3. On a table, put out lots of foods that are perfect for a food fight, spaghetti, whipped cream, mashed potatoes, chocolate pudding, Jell-O, cereal, hard boiled eggs, popcorn, oatmeal, bananas, ice cream, etc. Whatever you like, and you can make it even more interesting by putting food dye into the different foods, for example, green mashed potatoes.

4. Parents may want to announce a few "rules" to the kids before the food fight breaks out. Some suggestions include: they must keep their goggles on, they must stop throwing if they hear the sound of a whistle or something else you find appropriate, and that the food fight must stay within the space you have designated.

5. If there are kids who do not feel comfortable participating, let them have fun watching on the sidelines!

6. Make sure to have a video cam out to capture this fun!

7. Kids can also play some organized "food games," including eating donuts that have been strung on a string and with the kids blindfolded. First kid finished eating his donut, wins! Have the kids partner up and feed each other pudding standing 5 ft. away from one another using a plastic spoon.

8. The party menu can be very simple as they will be playing with the food at this party, more than eating any of it! Serve ice cream and cake to top the party off.

9. Send the kids home with a splattered brown paper bag filled with good food: a piece of fruit, a veggie, pudding pack, etc. as a reminder of their foodie fun!

Other Budget Friendly Birthday Party Alternatives:

1. If it's a rainy day, put on galoshes and splash around in the puddles. Don't worry about the mess, just enjoy the moment.
2. Have a family camp-out where all of you sleep in tents together, watching the stars, eating homemade treats, playing flashlight tag together. If it is cold outside, have a family slumber party! Lots of fun for the birthday kid.
3. Go to a favorite park with a picnic lunch and spend the day chasing it away enjoying the outdoor sun.
4. Undivided Attention for A Day. Give your kid all of you on his special day, now there's a great gift!
5. Use the day for a family field trip to the zoo or local children's museum, etc.

For more of Lisa Kothari's party etiquette advice, check out her recently-released Dear Peppers and Pollywogs...What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties, available at www.Amazon.com for $9.95. Also be sure to visit Lisa's website at www.PeppersPollywogs.com before you plan your next celebration!