I made bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit boats for breakfast this morning, and they turned out really good! You could easily fill these “boats” with whatever filling you like. My friend Dori  fills them with sloppy joe mix and tops them with cheese- still one of my favorite comfort food recipes!

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Boats

1 can of biscuits

3 eggs

6 slices of bacon

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

salt

pepper

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and push each biscuit into a muffin cup, pressing it along the sides to create a little bowl. Scramble the eggs until they are almost done (you don’t want to cook them too long or they’ll dry out in the baking process). Cook the bacon in the microwave according to the directions on the package until it’s crispy. Crumble the bacon into the eggs, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Fill each biscuit cup with a spoonful of the egg mixture, pressing down to fill completely. Bake for about 10 minutes, then top each “boat” with shredded cheese and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until the edges of the biscuits are golden. Yields 8 biscuit boats.

It started out as just a couple of little white flecks. We would pick them off of her cheeks and nose in the mornings, but we couldn’t figure out what was all over our daughter’s face and hands. And then it became all too clear- painfully clear if you happened to be her crib. Our daughter had already gotten her bottom two teeth, so we figured we had this teething thing under control. We were wrong. So wrong. Apparently, it’s the top teeth that cause the most damage- and her beautiful white crib rail was her first victim. It didn’t take long for the innocent white flecks to turn into deep, brown teeth notches all along the top rail of the crib. On the bright side, we’ll be able to use the little jar of touch-up paint the manufacturer sent with the furniture!

If only I had thought to make a teething pad before it was too late. Only, I had no clue what that even was until about 5 hours ago. (Insert best Homer Simpson “Doh!” here) So this is my PSA for the day: if your baby hasn’t gotten his top teeth yet, do yourself a favor and follow this tutorial to make your very own crib rail cover. Your little one’s crib will thank you.

Via diddledumpling.blogspot.com

Your little one will love the bright colors and fun designs. You will love not having to police every single puddle on the walk to the car.

Western Chief ($24.95 at REI.com)

Hatley Kids ($21.99 on 6pm.com)

Hatley Kids ($32 on Zappos.com)

Youth Cherokee Uzima ($19.99 at Target.com)

Berry Stripey ($30 at Plueys.com)

Jumping Beans ($17.49 at Kohls.com)

Western Chief ($24.95 on rei.com)

A simple headboard can make a $50 Hollywood Frame look like a million bucks, and it can really make a statement in a room. Unfortunately, many headboards can set you back hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. So I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite inexpensive, DIY headboard ideas. Enjoy, and happy headboarding!

Painted shutters- simple, beachy, perfectly shabby chic:

Via http://theletteredcottage.net/

Turn a door on it’s side, slap on some crown molding and a coat of paint and voila!

Via http://granddesignco.blogspot.com

Use reclaimed planks or a wooden pallet and put your inner artist to work:

Via http://camillestyles.com

Perhaps the most time consuming DIY headboard project, but if you can pull it off, you’ve saved yourself quite a bundle! (Pssst, there’s a DIY tutorial here!)

Via http://blog.addicted2decorating.com

My coworker, Dave, and a friend of his recently teamed up to start designing witty tees for tots and their parents. Dave’s daughter is only in the 7th percentile while his friend’s baby is off the charts, hence the name of their company: Big Baby Little Baby. They’re just starting out, but they already have some super cute t-shirts available online (and over 60 new designs in the queue- so plenty more to come!). You can check them out online at www.bigbabylittlebaby.com.

I can’t speak for all moms, but I struggle to carry my daughter, her bag for daycare and her car seat- all while teetering on 3-inch heels. Not to mention that I have to haul it all up a flight of stairs! It is a disaster waiting to happen. So it’s no surprise that my collection of flats has grown exponentially over the past year. I live in flats. Cute for the mall, comfy for walking the dog, and perfect for work. But I’m not trying to spend my entire paycheck on shoes, so I have pulled together some adorable flats that are all under $50 each- can’t beat that!

Christian Siriano for Payless ($34.99)

Express ($34.90)

Mossimo Supply Co. at Target ($19.99)

Etienne Aigner at piperlime.com ($49.50)

Ann Taylor Loft ($44.50)

Old Navy ($22)

Nine West at 6pm.com ($29.95)

Iron deficiency can make your little one irritable, pale, fatigued, dizzy and weak- and it is believed to affect neurodevelopment and behavioral development for years to come (i.e. difficulty concentrating in school, higher risk of ADHD, etc.). Although the prevalence of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia in children ages 1 to 3 has been on the decline since the 1970s, approximately 9.2% of all toddlers (ages 1-3) are iron deficient and 2.1% suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data collected between 1999 and 2002. The introduction of iron-fortified formula and infant foods, such as rice cereal, are attributed to the declining rates of iron deficiency over the years, as is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ stance on screening at one year.

If you think your child may be iron deficient, it is important to talk to your pediatrician right away to determine if you should be giving your little one iron supplements. However, all toddlers, even those with normal iron stores, can benefit from an iron-rich diet. Also, Vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron, so try to offer fruits and vegetables with iron-rich foods for maximum impact. Here are some foods you can start offering to your little one to help prevent iron deficiency:

Spinach                 

Cream of Wheat

Sweet Potatoes

Lentils

White Beans

Mushrooms

Blackstrap Molasses

Beef

Chicken

Pork

Clams

Oysters

Shrimp

Oatmeal

Tofu

Soybeans

Chickpeas

Lima Beans

Iron-fortified Pasta

In this economy, people are getting creative when it comes to big ticket kid items and toys. Kitchen and workbench play sets from makers like Fisher-Price and Little Tikes will run you about $75 a piece. But with a little time, elbow grease, and  an old nightstand or side table you have around the house (or pick up from a local thrift store), you can make one yourself for your budding chef or architect for around $30. You can even choose colors and patterns to match your little one’s bedroom or playroom- and chances are, your handiwork will turn out MUCH cuter than anything you can find at the store! Just check out these examples from some very creative bloggers:

Photo via dwellingsbydevore.com

Photo via thefrugalgranny.blogspot.com

I love Halloween. More than that, I love Halloween parties. And to go with all tricks, you need some yummy treats. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to bake up some of these adorable Halloween cupcakes with me. Until then, guess I’m just going to have to enjoy these myself!

Photo via sugarturntable.com

Photo via zombiewagon.com

Photo via bhg.com

Photo via celebrate-creativity.com

Photo via cutefoodforkids.com

It’s starting to get chilly at night here in the DC area, which means it’s time to pull out the footsie pajamas. By far, my favorite jammies for my daughter are her Absorba Blanket Sleepers. They are the softest fleece jammies, no matter how many times they’ve been washed. This French brand is a bit on the expensive side ($24 for a blanket sleeper), but I’ve found them at TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Costco for under $10 a piece. They make both the footsie pajamas as well as the fleece gowns, which are great for newborns.