November 20th, 2011

MayleesBoutique.com Now Offers Dress Ups

We are excited to announce that MayleesBoutique.com now offers Dress Ups from Little Adventures. We offer all your little girls favorite Princesses, Super Hero masks and capes for little boys, and much more!  These are high quality dress ups with clothing quality fabrics. They are machine washable and your little ones will love them! Look at our website under the Dress Up Category.

Deluxe Rapunzel Dress Up From Little Adventures

Fireman Boy Dress Up From Little Adventures

November 20th, 2011

MayleesBoutique.com Under New Ownership

February 16th, 2011

What are the chances?

Have you ever witnessed unexplainable situations present themselves in your life from time to time?  For instance, the deja vu moment that makes you think, “I’ve experienced this exact scene before.”  You may have even had the experience of anticipating a split second beforehand what’s going to take place in a situation like that.  My experience leads me to think that there are things that take place “behind the scenes” or beyond our mortal senses and capability to understand.

I had one of those experiences last night.

The Solids, Liquids, and Gases Discussion

For Valentine’s Day, my wife and children decided to host a candlelight dinner at our home.  We brought out our best table set and sat down for dinner.  My four-year-old and two-year-old were fascinated by the candles.  They commented about the wax melting on the water.  My daughter referred to the melting wax by saying that it was turning into water because of the hot flame.  I took the opportunity to teach my little boy and girl some basic science.  We observed that the water in our glass pitcher sloshed around and took the shape of its container.  I explained that water is a liquid.  I then told these two little inquisitive minds that some things (like water and juice) are liquids at normal temperatures like inside the house.  Other things, like candles, are solids at normal inside temperatures.  We talked about some of the details of what makes something be a solid, and we discussed how those things could become liquids and even gases at higher temperatures.

The conversation escalated into a science experiment.  We went to the freezer and took out an ice tray.  I had the kids help me pull some ice cubes out of the tray and observe how cold they were and how rigid their structures felt.  We dumped the ice cubes into a ceramic bowl and placed the bowl on the lit stove.  My curious little rascals (especially my completely enthralled daughter, who clapped and danced as we discussed what was going to happen) watched as the ice cubes quickly melted and turned into water.  I asked my kids questions about what was happening, and they gave their best explanations.  It was a great opportunity to help their creativity flourish.

Knowing that the next phase change for the water, transitioning from a liquid to a gas, would take a few minutes, I asked my kids if they wanted to watch an episode of Tom and Jerry on while we waited.  Of course they were interested in taking a break for their favorite show.

Is the Television Watching Us?

We wandered into the living room and sat down on the couch to watch a few minutes of cartoons.  What happened next was, to put it mildly, peculiar.  When I turned on the television, a show was on that we haven’t watched for at least a year:  Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader.  The question being considered was this:  “By definition, when water evaporates, it becomes which of the following?”  I quickly got my wife’s attention and told her, “Look what question they’re asking!”  I asked the question to my little girl, who blurted out, “It becomes a gas!” Of course, we were right in the middle of discussing that very subject.  It seemed like we could expect candid camera guy to jump out and explain that the whole sequence had been orchestrated.

As I thought about the situation, I wondered, “What are the chances everything that led up to this coincidence could have been strung together without some sort of intelligent interference?”  I took some stats classes in college, but it would take me some time to figure out the probability of those events being brought together in such a unique way:  the Valentines candlelight dinner, a discussion of material phases at the dinner table, the ensuing experiment with water, and the break to wait for water to boil.  My initial observation leads me to think that, as in more instances than we could ever be cognizant of, something else was at play, something beyond our capability of understanding.  If anyone knows how to run the numbers on this situation to disprove my theory or to validate it, I’d be interested in seeing the calculations.

January 19th, 2011

The Green Hornet – Movie Review

Some context for my movie reviews:  I am a Christian.  I believe in traditional family values, and I believe that entertainment should promote those values, even while displaying real life situations that may include some of the violence and intensity that gives flavor to life.

The Green Hornet

I’ll start this movie review with a quick summary of my experience:  I certainly wouldn’t recommend going to see The Green Hornet.  My experience left me wishing I’d left the theater earlier.  For a PG-13 movie, the producer pushed the limit on swearing and sexual references.  The main characters, although supposed to be villain-heroes, were both brats.  However, the story plot unsuccessfully tried to turn them into good guys.

I went with my husband to one of our local movie theaters.  After not finding anything that fit our schedule – we had a babysitter and we’d missed the first parts of the early movies – and our interests at the first two theaters, we went to a movie theater that had a few movies with 7:30 start times.  Our choices boiled down to two movies: Tron and the Green Hornet.  We didn’t know anything about either movie, so we asked for a recommendation from the girl behind the counter.  Her take:  Tron was boring; The Green Hornet was new and exciting.  So, we forked over our $17.00 and hurried in to experience The Green Hornet.

As we went into the theater, we were met with a flurry of profanity-laced threats that seemed so forced that it made it seem as if the director was trying his best to scream out, “This character is a really bad, bad, bad guy!”  My husband and I gave each other that look that says, “I hope this gets better.”  It didn’t.

Most of the movie was focused on scenes that emphasized the prurient part of human nature, seeking after power and trying to seduce a woman – Cameron Diaz, who looked old for the 36-year-old secretary she played .  The ultimate “heroes” of the show fought consistently, most of the time for childish and awkward reasons.  Sometimes it was difficult to sit through.  There were some overdone Karate-style fight scenes.  Most of the movie had hard-to-believe intensity.

There were some humorous parts to the movie, including some great one-liners, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone sit through all the disappointing language and crudeness that you’d have to endure to get a few laughs.  You could watch a few beer commercials back to back and come up with a similar story line and humor without so much swearing and vulgarity.

Throughout the entire movie, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) makes it repeatedly clear that he’s another arrogant, self-consumed, immature punk who’s obsessed with sex.  There are times when I thought he would overcome that and develop some character, but even when he saves the day, it’s obvious that he lacks all the qualities of a superhero, or even a committed villain.

I was disappointed to see so many young kids pouring out of the theater after it ended.  I was disappointed that I hadn’t walked out of the movie myself, and I certainly would have left the theater had I been accompanied by a child.

My rating for this movie is 1/5 stars.  The Green Hornet really wouldn’t have made my list of movies I’ve seen had it not been for a lack of planning on my date night with my husband.

October 28th, 2010

Halloween Costume Idea – The Cat in the Hat

With only three days left to Halloween you may be asking yourself what you and your family members are going to dress up as.  Well, here is a cute idea for a family of four that is easy to do and does not cost much.  Last year my husband and I decided that we should dress up as characters from The Cat in the Hat.  We had two rascally kids that would perfectly fit the part of Thing 1 and Thing 2.  We asked the kids about the idea and they liked it, so we decided to make a go of it.  Now, I am sure you can buy these costumes from the store, but at $20 a pop, making your own costumes can sound pretty enticing.  Also, everyone loves a good home made costume, so you are sure to get more compliments as a reward for your hard work.

First let’s tackle the cat.  I did not have a Dr. Seuss hat lying around the house, so I had to make my own.  I bought some red and white felt fabric at the store and thought about how a hat might be constructed.  I started by cutting a circle out of red fabric.  I then cut several strips of red and white felt that were the same length as the circumference of the top circle.   I sewed the strips together lengthwise, sewed then around the top circle, then sewed the strips down the back to complete the cylinder shape of the hat.  Lastly, I cut a white rim for the bottom of the hat by cutting a doughnut shape out of fabric and sewing it to the bottom.   All in all I was pretty impressed with my work.  I am not a sewing expert for sure, but the hats turned out good.

The rest of the cat costume was pretty simple.  My husband wore a black shirt and pants.  I cut a white oval and pinned it to him for his tummy.  I made white felt mittens for his hands (It took several tried to get these right.  You have cut much larger hand shapes than you think.), I sewed a red fabric strip to use as the bow around his neck, and tucked half a thin black boa in the back of his pants for a tail.  As you can see from the picture I repeated the process to create a Mrs. Cat in the Hat costume for myself.  We finished the look by painting our faces white and drawing whiskers and a nose with black eye liner.

The kid’s costumes were even easier.  I bought two red footed pajamas for the kids.  Finding solid red PJ’s was the hardest part, but I finally located them at Wal-Mart.  I made red felt mittens for the kids and connected them with a piece of yarn so they would not get lost while not in use.  The kids did not really use the mittens, but they looked good in pictures before they were destroyed.  Real mittens would be much nicer if you can find them.

For the Thing 1 and Thing 2 signs I purchased a small sheet of white felt that was sticky on the back.  1 sheet was only 25 cents at JoAnn’s Fabric.  I cut out two circles and wrote on them with a sharpie.  The nice thing about using self-adhesive felt was that the felt stuck to the clothes really well, but also did not leave any residue after being removed, so I was able to use the pajamas for bedtime after Halloween.

The wild hair was the most fun part of the costumes.  I bought two winter hats for a dollar each, and 2 thin colored boas.  My daughter wanted purple hair instead of blue and I was happy to oblige.   I used a glue gun to attach the boas to the hats by starting at the bottom of the hats and winding the boas around and around to the top.  The crazy hair was such a hit; we got compliments from everyone.

We had so much fun with these costumes that my daughter wanted to use the same ones again this year.  Although it was tempting because that would be so easy, I talked her into something different.  If you decide to try this idea, I hope you have as much fun with it as we did.

August 29th, 2010

Getting Your Kids To Bed and To School On Time

My little girl is going to start preschool this week and I have been thinking about all the life changes I will need to make in order for preschool to work for us.  I have always been a night person, and as someone who owns a business while being a parent, I have gotten in the habit of spending time at night working.  I then am often up at night with the baby and need to sleep in to survive.  So my kids don’t wake me up at the crack of dawn, I have started putting them to bed later.  It is a vicious cycle because then I stay up even later, but that is all about to end.

For the last two weeks I have been slowly trying to get my kids used to going to bed between 8 and 8:30.  I have been successful about half the time.  They are still sleeping in though because they have not quite adjusted yet.  I am still not sure if I will be able to get my daughter ready for preschool by 9:00 in the morning three times a week.  I know that sounds awful, but this is really going to stretch us.  I am hoping that after a week or so we will be used to the change and be able to prepare for an even earlier schedule when she starts kindergarten next year.

In preparing for preschool I came across a program a few weeks ago called Children’s Miracle Music.  It uses music and a point system to encourage kids to get ready for bed and ready for the day really fast.  While the program is not perfect, it has been quite helpful.  My kids are actually excited about doing things like cleaning up their toys and getting dressed.  It has cut down the time for them to get ready, and I don’t have to drag then though the process.

I would love to hear your suggestions or related stories.  How do you get your kids up and ready for school on time…or do you?

April 23rd, 2010

A Fun Sewing Project to Do with Kids – Make Bean Bags

Whether you are encouraging your child with their first sewing project, or just trying to find something fun to do with your kids, try making your own bean bags.  Bean bags are super easy to make and really hard to mess up.  Plus, you probably already have all the supplies you need right at home.

You Will Need:
Scrap Fabric
Bean Bag Filler (Uncooked beans or rice work great)
A sewing Machine and Thread
Scissors

Simply fold your scrap fabric in half with the wrong side facing out and cut a bean bag shape.  Square is traditional, but why not cut a more exciting shape and try it out.  Fabric scissors are usually super sharp, so if you are working with a small child, have them draw a shape on the fabric and help them out.   (Hint: to make the last step easier on yourself, leave a little extra fabric on the part you will leave open for turning.  This will make your bean bag easier to close.)

Once you have your fabric shapes, sew a straight stitch around the outside leaving an opening to turn your bag out.  Turn your bag right side out and fill it with your bean bag filler.  This is a fun part for kids because there is no right or wrong way.  They can fill them with just a little filler or add more for a fuller bean bag.  Just remember that you still have to stitch up the opening on the bean bag, so don’t fill it so full that it will be hard to sew shut.

Once your bean bag is filled, close it off by turning the edges of the opening in and sewing across them.  Your machine should work for this step unless you have filled your bean bag really full.  In that case you may consider stitching up the opening by hand.  You now have a completed bean bag that your child is sure to love, and why not, you child helped make it.

April 22nd, 2010

Make a Cute Bag Out of a Placemat

This past weekend I learned how to make a bag out of a placemat.  It was super easy and such a cute idea I had to share.

Materials Needed:
1 Placemat
About 64” of Ribbon
Thread
A Sewing Machine
Fun Embellishments

Gathering Materials:
You can find placemats at just about any store that has kitchen supplies.  I got this cute quilted placemat at Wal-Mart for $2.00, but I must admit that the selection was limited and I could not find the placemat I really wanted.  Target may have a better selection, and Kohl’s has a good variety of placemats and clearances them once in a while.  For embellishments look in the floral or scrapbooking departments.  A bow also makes a good option if you can’t find something else you want to use.

Directions:
Sew a strip of ribbon horizontally across the outside of the placemat.  I measured down about 2 or 3 inches from the edge.  Make sure your ribbon is on straight.  Be creative with this step.  You can add multiple ribbons or decorative stitching.  I used a zigzag stitch to add some pizzazz.  Repeat this step on the other end of the placemat.  Make sure you use the same measurements to place your ribbons or stitching, as you will want these to line up when you sew your bag together.

Cut to equal lengths of ribbon to use as handles.  You can make your handles and length you want.  I cut my ribbons 21” each to I could use my bag as a handbag or slip it over my shoulder.  Attach a handle to one short end of the bag, and repeat on the other end.  You will want to make sure you sew the handles on securely so your bag will last.  Realize that you will be able to see this stitching on the outside of your finished bag so do a good job.  I measured about 6” between the two sides of the handle, but do whatever you feel looks good with your bag.

Now you are ready to turn your placemat into a bag.  Fold your bag horizontally across the middle inside out and pin your bag wrong sides together.  Sew down each side of the mat starting at the open end and ending at the fold.  The closer to the edges you sew the better so you don’t end up with a bunch of extra fabric inside your bag.

Now pinch the edges along the fold and sew a line across to make a triangular shape on each side.  Try to make the triangle as symmetrical as possible.  The larger triangle you sew the bigger the base of your bag will be.

Guess what?  You are almost there.  Turn your bag right side out and see what you have created.  The only thing left to do is add embellishments if you would like.  You can sew or glue them to your bag.  You could also glue different embellishments to brads or snaps, they you can remove your embellishments to wash your bag or switch them out to match your mood.  Another option would be to add Velcro or a snap to the opening so you close your bag.

I hope you enjoyed this project.  Feel free to add comments or suggestions below.

April 19th, 2010

An Easy Idea for a Birthday or Special Event – Cookie Monster Cupcakes

When I was a kid, my mom made our birthday cakes.  I remember sometimes insisting on a particular theme, and sometimes leaving it up to my mom, but I always was excited to see what she came up with.  My mom did not start out as a cake decorating expert.  I am sure that in early years the cakes were pretty simple, or that there were some flops, but by the time I remember my mom made amazing masterpieces.

I now carry the tradition in my family although the reasons are different.  My mom made cakes because my parents could not afford to buy pre-decorated cakes from the store.  I make cakes because I remember having a unique cake on my birthday was exciting and made me feel special and loved.  That is a tradition I want my kids to experience.

If you are just starting out making cakes, try something simple.  Once you get the hang of it you will be surprised what you can do.  A good place to start is with cupcakes.  You don’t have to worry about cupcakes falling apart like layered cakes sometimes try to do, you can quickly pass out cupcakes at a party so no one has to wait for the cake to be cut, and each kid feels like they have their own special treat.  Plus, there are a million simple cupcake decorating ideas that are often easier to start with than a large cake.

Cookie monster cupcakes make a great decorating idea for a small child’s birthday, or other fun event.  There are two decorating methods that both turn out spectacularly.  Both designs are simple, but which one you choose should depend on the tools you have available and which you feel more comfortable with.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes Method 1:

You will need:
White Icing – store bought icing works for this method.
White Icing in a Tube
Blue Sprinkles
Small Chips Ahoy Cookies – get the original, not the soft
Chocolate Chips – not shown in picture

Directions:
After your cupcakes have cooled, frost each cupcake and dip it into the blue sprinkles trying to cover the frosting with sprinkles as much as possible.  You will want to do all the decorating for each cupcakes at once while the frosting is still wet or the sprinkles and cookie won’t stick.  Using a large round cake decorating tip (or a frosting tube if you don’t have decorating supplies) make two white large bulgy eyes and place a chocolate chip in each on.  Cookie monster eyes are crazy, so vary where you place the chocolate chips.  Cut a Chips Ahoy cookie in half and stick one half in the top of the cupcake where the mouth should go.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes Method 1

Cookie Monster Cupcakes Method 2:

You will need:
White Icing
Blue Icing
A Round Cake Decorating Tip and A Star Decorating Tip
Cake Decorating Frosting Bag
Small Chips Ahoy Cookies – get the original, not the soft
Black Icing

Directions:
After your cupcakes have cooled, decorate each cupcake using the a star cake decorating tip and blue frosting.  If you are not comfortable making your own frosting for decorating go to your local grocery store bakery or other bakery.  They usually will let you buy frosting that will be perfect for decorating.  When I buy frosting I normally buy white frosting and then color it myself, but they will likely have the colors you need on hand.  You will want to do all the decorating for each cupcake at once while the frosting is still wet or the cookie won’t stick.  Using a large round cake decorating tip make two white large bulgy eyes and add a round spot of black frosting (or chocolate brown frosting) for the pupil of the eye.  Cookie monster eyes are crazy, so vary the direction each eye is looking.  Cut a Chips Ahoy cookie in half and stick one half in the top of the cupcake where the mouth should go.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes Method 2