‘DailyBuzz’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Ten on Thursday {+ Babble + Pinterest + DailyBuzz Moms}

June 7, 2012 · Narrative

Or maybe more than ten. We’ll see how it goes. So I have some randomness to share, some items more noteworthy than others, and instead of doing different posts on each, I’m going to throw it all together and see what sticks. *And I also added a couple random pictures as well.

Last Friday, the folks at Babble released a Top 50 Parents on Pinterest list. And guess who was on it? Me! In the #8 spot! Very chuffed at the honor, but beyond that, it’s a great collection of others who use Pinterest like I do. They wrote a short bio (without input from me) about each person they featured, and they said, “Cate’s Sweetnicks blog reflects her two main passions in life — her children (Nicholas and Madeline) and food. She’s also one crafty mama, selling her adorable hair barrettes on Etsy.” How sweet are they? I love that, and couldn’t have said it better myself. Whether you’re looking for recipe or decorating inspiration, or want to plan your wedding or find motivational quotes, Pinterest is an awesome resource. Not following me yet? I’m right here. Do check out the others on Babble’s list when you get a minute.

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Thank you to those that checked out the new O’Malley’s Pop Up Shop, and those who did some shopping. Seven items already sold and will be shipping out tomorrow. It might seem like something small to you, but to me, it’s big. Very big. New items listed today.

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Remember my recap on our visit to the Thomas Edison Museum? It got included in a recent DailyBuzz Moms Today’s Top 9 feature on kids and museums, so if you’re looking for fun places to visit (either with or without kids), do check it out. And when I went to grab the Daily Buzz Moms link, I noticed that Today’s Top 9 is “Veg Out,” and includes the Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Salad Sandwich I made the other day. Visit the link for more vegetable options to help you take advantage of a new season of produce!

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This morning I came downstairs to find Madeline crouched on the washing machine.

“What are you doing?

Trying to get the lunch boxes down.

“Ok, but I’d rather you just ask instead of climbing onto the washing machine.”

This is how I did it yesterday. I need help getting them, please.

“Ok, here you go.”

And I need helping getting down, please.

She is too much.

And yes, after having Nick watch her, I went to go get my camera. Tuesday, she packed my breakfast and lunch, Nick’s snacks, and her snacks. We are very lucky to be in her world.

She “graduates” from her school in just two weeks. She went to the same school that Nick went to for 2-1/2 years, so this is a final good-bye. Although I’m sad that she’s growing up and is the last baby (I keep telling Mystic I need another one!), she’s ready for a new chapter. She’ll be going to summer camp for a few weeks this summer, and then starting a completely (new to us) school in the Fall. Cue.the.tears.

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Comfort Food: Grilled Cheese, Bacon, and Avocado {Kraft Singles}

May 29, 2012 · Ad-Free, Narrative

When it comes to comfort food, grilled cheese is probably in the Top 5 for me. When I was a kid, a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of hot tomato soup did wonders. Well, that and the fact that my Mom would make it for me. These days, it’s a go-to request from Nick too, although Madeline has yet to jump on the bandwagon. She’s fickle about cheese. Considering the insane cravings I had for cheese during my pregnancy with her, this surprises me to no end.

Over the years, I have made a variety of incarnations, and although I like to use other “more grown-up” cheeses, I always go back to the classic Kraft slices. Because that’s what my Mom did.

The first time The Ex and I went on a cruise, before we were married, we stopped at a little dive restaurant in Bermuda and had the most amazing bacon and avocado sandwiches. We actually smuggled some back on the ship before we left the port. They were that good. And that’s another favorite sandwich to this day. I mean, really, avocado? Bacon? How can you go wrong?

So when Nick asked for a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch yesterday, I decided to make a new kind… grilled cheese with crispy bacon and avocado. It seriously may be the best grilled cheese sandwich to date. It was the perfect way to combine some favorite old memories, and just the thing our lazy Memorial Day afternoon called for.

What is YOUR favorite kind of grilled cheese sandwich?

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DIY Halloween Costume: DailyBuzz Moms 9×9

October 24, 2011 · Ad-Free, Narrative

Hard to believe that Halloween is just one week away. Although I’d like to say it’s one of my favorite holidays, regular readers know how much I seriously love them all! I have finally gotten my kids to nail down their Halloween costume choices, and the O’Malley household will be sporting a unicorn and a vampire this year. I was really pulling for Madeline to be Rainbow Brite this year, you know, one of Strawberry ‘hortcake’s (as she calls her) best friends, but I lost the battle and gave in to a unicorn. Given her unabashed love for unicorns, horses, cows, dolphins, and whales, it should come as no surprise that we’re having an animal trick-or-treating with us this year.

The folks at Pottery Barn Kids have some awesome Halloween costumes for children this year, and Madeline’s unicorn was very nicely provided to us by them. To say she was thrilled that they had her first choice available would be an understatement. It’s all I can do to prevent her from wearing it daily right now. And I’m not letting her because, you know, white and a 3-1/2 year old is just not a good combination. Although they tend to be a little more costly than I would normally spend, a lot of them are on sale now (with free shipping!), and they really are well made. Nice tight stitching, super soft fabrics, and I love that it’s loose enough that I can put warm weather clothing on underneath the costume without making her feel like she’s been smothered to pieces. Because in typical New Jersey fashion, it’s back to being cold again, and who knows what next Monday brings.

Stumped for Halloween inspiration for your own little ones? You might want to check out DailyBuzz. Tomorrow they will be featuring nine DIY Halloween costumes that you can make at home very easily, and I’m happy to report that this Butterfly Catcher costume we made last year for a Disney column is one of the nine featured. It’s super simple to make and you might even have everything you need in your house right now. If not, a trip to your local Dollar Store will quickly take care of that. Can’t wait to see the other 8 creative costumes featured.

Need inspiration for your pup? You can check out the Virtual Pet Parade featured by the folks at Animal Planet, and snag a costume for your very own canine while you’re there. Maxwell, the newest member of the O’Malley household, is sporting butterfly wings (although, unfortunately, not visible in the picture they are featuring there), but he has a fun polka-dotted cap on. Well, I think polka dots are fun. Maxwell might be in a different camp on that opinion. While there, you can certainly cheer him up and give him a vote if you’re so inclined….