The Coterie Blog — Coterie [koh-tuh-ree] A group of people who associate closely.

Happy Heart Paint Chip Garland

2012-02-08T06:30:00.001-07:00

Head on over to The Alison Show to see more fabulous Valentine's Day crafts for her Share The Love posts!

I love crafting, but I also love SIMPLE, QUICK crafting! I don't have a lot of Valentine's Day decor around, but I wanted something to liven things up around my house for the big V-Day. I remembered my Easter egg garland and figured why not do the same thing with hearts?! This project only took be about 10 minutes, including cutting the hearts and sewing them together. Simple, easy, quick, cute!

1. The first heart you make will be the stencil for all the other hearts. After you've crafted the perfect shaped heart, trace it onto the back of the paint chips.

2. Cut out all of the hearts. I stacked two at a time so the process went much faster.

3. Arrange the hearts in the order you'd like them to me when hung. I didn't want any particular order, so mine are just all random.

4. I spiced things up by using a zigzag stitch! Make sure that you have another heart ready to feed under the needle as soon as you come to the end of each heart. Also, remember to leave thread at each end to tie up when it's all finished.

Service With A GENUINE Smile

2012-01-25T15:18:00.003-07:00

I rarely write posts with no pictures. But this is one of them. It's worth reading though!

Yesterday started off kind of crazy. It was hectic. I was frantic, and on a big time crunch. I was headed to visit my dear friend Jilland her tiny new baby, Langston, and more importantly (well, not MORE important, but pretty dang important) I wanted to bring her Mountain West Burrito. Who doesn't love that place? Well after what you're about to read, you'll have a crush on that joint and it's owner even more than you already do.

I was about 3 minutes away, with kids in tow. I frantically called in my order so that I could move along the process of getting on the road to Jill's. With kids, everything is a process.

We parked, and in the yucky, icy slush, I unbuckled child #1, got him out of the car, then unlatched child #2 and dragged them in so I could pick up my order. I have a paranoia of leaving kids in cars alone. Anyway, I walked in, told the man who I refer to as The Mountain West Burrito Guy (if you've been there you know who I'm talking about) that I was here for my order, and then I had a seat while they finished whipping up my order.

I watched. The restaurant was already filling up at 11:00am. There were businessmen, college-age kids, children, and a lovely elderly couple. MWBG (Mountain West Burrito Guy) served them their order. I could tell that the woman was contemplating how to go about the enormous, delicious burrito all wrapped up in foil. Seconds later MWBG quietly asked her if she'd like a plate, fork and knife. With a huge sigh of relief she said, "Yes! Please! Thank you so much!". That was nice. But my story gets lovelier.

My order comes. MWBG brings me my bag of goods. Herding child #1 with one arm, Child #2 + car seat in another arm, and my bag of food in the other (moms have three arms), I stood up to race to my car. MWBG stops me. He informs me that my chicken burrito is labeled, and that he had put extra salsa in the bag. "SO nice! I like that kind of service", I thought. But that was not all. MWBG then goes on to personally tell me that whenever I want to call in an order, when I drive up to park he will bring out my food to my car for me so that I don't have to get out with all the kids just to pick it up. WOW. I then told him that he was amazing. But that's not all. on my way out, I reached the exit and he was there holding the door open for my children and I because he he's just that kind of guy. He's that kind of business owner (He IS the owner, I assume).

Honestly. That kind of service is AMAZING! Unbelievable. He'll bring my food out to the car so I don't have to come in? Who is this guy?!

I go back to businesses for good customer service. I shop at Macey's Grocery store because there are friendly old men in the produce section handing out candy to make my kids happy, and I can count on other employees in just about every aisle asking me if I need help finding something. Even though The Flower Basket is overpriced, I still shop there for gifts because I like to see Macy's sweet, smiling face welcoming me at the door, and we chat like we've been friends forever. She makes me feel welcome. And now, when I want a burrito (that happens A LOT), I vow to go to Mountain West Burrito because of the MWBG and is unbelievable hospitality. He made my day.

Rings (and other jewelry) By Kent

2012-01-18T13:59:00.010-07:00

I'll just cut to the chase. My uncle, Kent Christensen, is an AMAZING jeweler and a FANTASTIC man! He makes these unbelievable rings that are to die for (seriously though). I love that they have a raw, earthy feel to them. My cousin Ashley and her husband Carl have some amazing wide wedding bands that he made. Here is a little more about his jewelry:

My jewelry is symbolic of hard work and the universal need for art that lasts. Each design is unique and individualized. It doesn’t conform to the masses. It is art that spans generations. I revel in the beauty of natural materials. My jewelry is the work of my own hands, cast at the foot of the Sundance Wasatch mountains in the heart of the American West, Utah.

My work is the product of many roads of experience. After studying fine art in college, I worked as an archeologist, where I came to understand the power of timeless mediums. I am a master ceramist in the dental technology field, which is where my hands grew accustomed to precision and perfect detail. I grew up with the sound of the ocean in my backyard, and later adopted the red sands and unparalleled mountains of Utah, which I’ve called home for over 25 years. My heritage and my family are the principles that guide me.

My pieces combine physical style with free flow design of natural materials. In addition to silver and gold, I work with a variety of other precious and semi-precious metals. Contact me for more details.

The end result is not just jewelry, but hand-crafted sculptural designs of wearable art.

I posted just a few of my favorite designs of Kent's, but he has dozens more. To see his full gallery, email:

Kent Christensen

tuthmaker@gmail.com

You can also contact me and I can give you more contact info!

And for all you hard-core's out there, he makes BIKER RINGS too!

Valentine's Day Gift Idea...For HIM

2012-01-16T14:01:00.006-07:00

I got Matt and I these One Line A Day journals for Christmas. We're both terrible about writing in our journals, so this 5-year journal has a little spot for one line a day. It's perfect. We keep them on our night stands and every night right before our head hits the pillow we both take 30 seconds to jot down something that stuck out to each of us that day. I'm excited to swap journals and read what he's written!

It's an inexpensive, yet thoughtful gift that will last a long, long time! So far we haven't even missed a day!

I'm A Sucker For You! (Looking Back on Last Year)

2012-01-15T21:08:00.005-07:00

Last year Cole and I were pretty excited about delivering valentines to all of his neighborhood girlfriends (and guy friends for that matter). I wanted to do something fairly simple, that the kids would love and that Cole would be excited about. We ended up getting discounted reject suckers (mis-shapen) from the local candy factory, and attached a simple tag that said "I'm a Sucker For You" on it. They seemed to be a big hit. You can see my original post about the valentines here. Now I have to think of something to do this year....I'll let you know what we end up doing!

Sunday Afternoon

2012-01-15T20:37:00.004-07:00

We rearranged our basement furniture a few weeks ago. I like the new setup a lot, but I also blame it for not blogging for DAYS on end. The computer is out of sight, back in the playroom, which, consequently means the computer is out of mind as well. I WANT to blog more often, but I guess I just get caught up in the whole "mom" thing, so it doesn't occur to me that I haven't blogged until I'm laying in bed and the day is over. This cycle happens day after day after day. I'm going to try my hardest to post more now though. It's my outlet. It's my connection to the "outside world". I need to know what's hip, what's not. I have well over 300+ blogs to catch up on in my blog roll. What's a girl to do?

Aside from that, we have 9:00am church now, which means we have the whole day to do fun family things like drag my family out to the Utah Lake ice and make them let me take pictures. Let's be honest though, Matt secretly loved it. Cole certainly loved throwing dozens of rocks onto the ice, and Hawk loved me waking him up for the family self-timer portrait. I only was able to take two tries for the last picture, but luckily one turned out with no blinks!

It was a lovely day.

2011: Looking Back

2012-01-02T10:15:00.016-07:00

It's weird looking back at all of the blog posts from the year and seeing all the things we've done, accomplished, not accomplished, and most importantly, how we've grown. Here is a compilation of the more important things that happened. I know it's cliche to say, but lately I've been realizing more and more how much I love my life!

Looking back, it may not seem like we did much, but oh we did! I'm doing exactly what I've always wanted to. The most important things in my life happen at home :)

Attempted to beautify our new house and make it our own. Still a work in progress

Said goodbye to our dearest friend, and sweetest companion Wanda. We still talk about her often and Cole still asks where she is. See ya in a few, Wanda! xoxo

Made A LOT of messy art

Played with as many cousins as possible

Mades bestest friends with neighborhood families. Spent A LOT of outdoor time together (and indoor time, for that matter!)

Spent the majority of the year growing another human

Spent more and more time outside!

Had sweet baby Hawk! Became a mother of TWO!

And now we're a family of four, loving (almost) EVERY second of it!

From Our Family To Yours

2011-12-24T13:04:00.007-07:00

Merry Christmas!

Love, The Mildensteins

photos courtesy of Weston Colton

Cole Turns 3, and other Updates

2011-12-23T14:07:00.002-07:00

Cole turned three last week! My tiny little baby, THREE YEARS OLD?! I don't really believe it either. Anyway, it was a fun, simple day. We woke up and he opened gifts. We stayed in our PJ's all day. I had been stressing over what kind of cake to make him, even though I knew no one cared and only a small handful of people would see it. Then, an hour before leaving for Chuck E. Cheese it hit me. Let COLE decorate the cake. Brilliant. Yes, I'm acknowledging that my idea was genius. I made a simple box cake earlier that day, and but separated the batter out to make it a rainbow cake. I asked Cole what color of cake he wanted, and his immediate response was, "blue". I quickly turned my store-bought white frosting blue, frosted the sucker, and let cole have at it (with supervision). I just gave him a bunch of mini M&M's and it was done! He loved it, I loved it, and everyone was happy.

In other news, as I sit here typing in my housecoat, I'd like to inform you that we've spent most of the holiday season in our pajamas, only changing into presentable clothing to venture out in the cold a couple times a week. I'm not complaining. We have made endless amounts of goodies, eating about 80% of the finished products ourselves. Cole is really into giant sugar cookies lately. I like to just freeze the dough for when he has another one of his cookie decorating frenzies. Then, when he's ready, I just cut out shapes, pop it in the oven, and let him do his thing with the frosting.

That's about all the updating I have for our "thrilling" lives!

I hope you all have a BEAUTIFUL, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

xoxo, Heather

Alice Lane Blogger Social

2011-12-19T16:26:00.004-07:00

Last week I was invited to attend a blogger social hosted by Alice Lane and Kirsten Krason. It was my first time at Alice Lane and it did NOT disappoint! The store is absolutely beautiful from floor to ceiling.

The company was delightful. I loved talking to all of the bloggers there. It was nice and relaxing, too! Thanks, Alice Lane and Kirsten for a lovely evening!

xoxo

4 Months!

2011-12-14T13:56:00.002-07:00

Two-Cent Tuesday! Christmas Gifts for Grandparents!

2011-12-13T14:36:00.006-07:00

My friend Brittney wrote to me asking for Christmas gift ideas for grandparents. She's done an iPhoto book, blankets, photos, etc., but is looking for something different and unique this year. Something inexpensive, and maybe incorporating the children's artwork into it.

Do you readers have any ideas? I need some ideas as well :)

Below are some ideas I found off of pinterest that I thought were cute!

DIY Silhouettes

embroidered hands

Tiny Polariod Magnets from your instagram pictures (or any photos)

Modeling: My New Career Path

2011-12-12T08:33:00.003-07:00

Let me paint you a picture.

Friday, late morning. We're all still in pajamas. Matt's at work. I'm nursing Hawk. Christmas bins cluttering the house. Half eaten bowls of breakfast linger on the dining room table. Beds unmade. Jackets and boots all over the living room floor from the outing the night before.

I go to check my phone and I see that I've missed 2 calls, and 2 texts from Matt. All of which say, "We're coming to scout the house for a Vivint shoot". WHAA???

I call, no answer. He finally calls me back and says they're coming sometime to check out the house. I think I have at least an hour or two. I say see ya later, and hang up. I pick up a few things, thinking I'll get to the other things later, but before they come. I sit down to put Hawk to sleep, and send Matt a quick text saying to text me when they're on their way. He texts back, "Coming."

I scramble. Try to figure out a decent centerpiece for the dining room table. pick up all the jackets and shoes. wipe down the crusty oatmeal that had dried on the table. Who knows, Maybe Todd himself would be coming. (just kidding). I just didn't know what or who to expect so I had to make it the most presentable as possible in the 15 minutes I had. Wouldn't you?

With all that being said, Photographer Weston and Matt showed up and made the decision that our house "would work". Then Weston asked how I felt about our family being in the pictures. I humbly said, "umm, I guess, yeah, sure". When really I wanted to say, "Heck yeah! Totally! My face be on the front page of the Vivint site? YES!". Jk, that's weird to think. But I was a little excited about the shoot.

Monday rolled around and we did the shoot. It was a lot of fun, especially for Cole who got to hang ornaments over and over for like 2 hours.

Thanks Weston and Vivint. Weston, your photography is FABULOUS, and Vivint, your system is AMAZING! Makes me feel safe when Matt's out late at work :)

Ye Old Rocker: Before & After

2011-12-08T13:51:00.004-07:00

My friend Megan recently dyed an entire couch cover that turned out beautifully. I was chatting with her about it and she said that it was super easy, even for those of you with front-loader washing machines. I told her about a chair that I used for Cole when he was a baby, but I wasn't a fan of the pale yellow anymore, especially since I'm not using it in a nursery. She generously gave me her extra dye, and sent me on my way, and gave me this link to check out.

It's an extremely simple process, and all of the detailed instructions are on the inside of the packet. You dye whatever fabric you're using all in the washing machine, and it's pretty much as simple as doing a load of laundry. The dye is called iDye and you can find it in select JoAnn's craft stores.

Before

After

*Note, in real life, the color looks WAY more even. This picture looks a bit patchy but it's really not.

HELP! I'm a Human Pacifier!

2011-12-08T09:47:00.004-07:00

Friends, readers, I need your help before things get COMPLETELY out of control!

Whenever I ask your opinion on something, you always have the best ideas.

So here it is- my sweet, dearest Hawk (4 month old) won't take a bottle or pacifier. I thought the bottle was the bigger issue until he started waking up at night, every single hour just so "use" me to fall back asleep. It only takes a minute or two, but still, I just wanna be able to give him a binkie and not HAVE to rely solely on me to be soothed.

I never understood when moms would say that their babies wouldn't take pacifiers. I just thought maybe they weren't trying hard enough or something. SO not true!

image

Hawk thinks binkies are toys. He chomps on them rather than suck. If I try to give him one while he has just fallen asleep, he starts gagging and gets SUPER mad. I even warm it up for him so it's not cold. Nope. Drama.

What do I do?!?!?! He's just about 4 months now...is that too young to just let him cry it out?! I'm thinking maybe he's a bit young. I guess if this is my "biggiest issue" with my baby I have it pretty good, but still, it's driving me nuts! Getting up every hour at night, not to feed him, but to just soothe with my boob for one minute gets a little...annoying!

I guess my biggest fear is that it's going to get into a terrible habit!

Thoughts? Suggestions? HELP!

*Thoughts on getting him to take a bottle would be helpful too, but more specifically the BINKIE!

Young Family!

2011-12-07T14:32:00.001-07:00

More to come...

Shopping For A Cause!

2011-12-07T08:40:00.005-07:00

A friend's cousin has been diagnosed with brain cancer and only has about a year to live. He is a young man with three kids and a sweet wife. My friend and her family decided to join together and put on a fundraiser for him and his family to help cover medical and living expenses. 100 % of the fundraiser profit will go towards this beautiful family.

The fundraiser is being hosted at Clarity Skin in Draper. There will be designer clothing, artisan jewelry, WAYYY below wholesale wedding dresses (nearly twenty of those) and lots of other lovely goodies. The spa is also raffling off tons of goodies. Each item purchased gets you another entry into the raffle. The goodies include:

30 units of botox valued at $300

Juvederm treatment valued at $500

Latisse, a Vivite skincare kit and Vivite Glycolic Facial all valued at $509

Below are some of the designer clothes that will be for sale:

Most of the pictures are by Suzabelle, but we are also selling tons of pieces by Trashy Diva and For Joseph and like I said, lots of jewelry, wedding dresses, etc. Everything is being sold for way way way below wholesale.

The address is 11762 South State Street Suite 200 Draper, Utah 84020

The days and hours!

Wednesday Dec 7 9am - 6pm
Thursday Dec 8 9am - 5pm
Friday Dec 9 9am - 5pm

DIY Sweater Stockings

2011-12-04T15:33:00.005-07:00

I've been needing to get new stocking for a while now. Our family is growing. When I made stockings a LONG time ago, it was just Matt, Wanda and I. Then, when Cole came, Wanda's stocking became Cole's, and we got Wanda a more fitting stocking, because she was a dog and all. Now that Hawk is here, I thought it was time to just scrap the old stockings and start over, thinking long-term.

Before I start on the tutorial though, I must give credit to Nicole for giving me this idea. If it weren't for her, I would not have these sweater stocking hung by my chimney with care.

If you're worried about sewing, fear NOT! This was probably one of the most simple, easy crafts I've ever done! Anyone can do it, I promise! I busted 6 out in about an hour.

First, I started by going to the local thrift store to find some sweaters. You can use your own old sweaters too, if you have some. Here were my criteria for the sweater hunt:

-fun patterns
-bright colors
-nice ribbing on the bottom of the sweater (because this would be the TOP of the stocking)
-enough fabric to make large stockings (the size I wanted them to be)

After you have your sweaters, come home and make a pattern. I liked the shape of this basic stocking pattern, so I roughly followed this design. I made the pattern on the back of a cereal box that I had taken apart and opened up.

*Make sure to keep in mind seam allowance when making your pattern. Leave about 1/2 inch extra on all sides.

Turn your sweater inside out and pin your pattern to the sweater, making sure that the top of your stocking pattern (the opening of your stocking) is matched up with the bottom ribbing of the sweater. Cut out fabric.

Sew the stocking together, turn inside out, and voila! You have a beautiful stocking!

*Some of the feet on my stockings turned out a little elvish on accident, but I kind of like it like that :)

I tried to make a hook out of part of the sweater, but it was more work than it was worth, I thought. I ended up just putting the knitting of the stocking through the nail on the mantle. It works fine.

I made six stockings because I didn't want to make stockings again. Does this mean I just made it official that we're having 4 kids? Hmm...We'll just have to see.

DIY Holiday Tea Towels

2011-12-02T06:08:00.002-07:00

Remember these old Christmas prints that I used to sell? Well Alison of She Blogs She Blogs and I repurposed the design and came up with these darling tea towels. Well let's be honest, she is the mastermind behind the ideas, and I help..just a little. She likes to give me more credit than I deserve! She designed the amazing deer, too!

Anyway, we used a simple freezer paper technique that is totally fool proof! I promise! SUPER EASY! Like, Cole could do it. Head over to She Blogs She Blogs for detailed instructions on how to make them. She also has a free PDF download of her amazing deer design for you!

Click here for the free JOY and NOEL pdf downloads.

photos by Alison

Little Printer

2011-11-29T09:40:00.004-07:00

I'm gonna need one of these Little Printers from Berg Cloud. Really though. Can I pre-order?

Watch the video! I PROMISE it's worth one minute out of your day!

Hello Little Printer, available 2012 from BERG on Vimeo.

Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies

2011-11-28T12:37:00.004-07:00

These cookies were one of my biggest "Christmas goodie" memory as a child. I'd never made them before, until today. It was a boring morning with absolutely zero things on the to-do list. (please note that this is not the same list as the "should" do list). So I asked Cole if he wanted to help me make special Christmas cookies, and he was all for it!

I always thought that these cookies were really difficult to make, maybe because I was a little tiny child and they looked pretty fancy. Guess what?! They're SUPER easy to make. In fact, just as easy as making basic chocolate chip cookies, if not easier!

So I called my mom and asked for her to email the recipe. I love it when I ask my mom to e-mail recipes because she just scans the actual page, and it brings back floods of memories of that particular cookbook and specific recipe. You can see all the splatter marks and all.

The only thing about these cookies is that they show every little imperfection. They taste delicious, but sometimes they look a little, well, "homemade". At least that's how they looked when they came out of MY oven. Maybe if they came out of your oven look perfect!

Anyway, they're fun to make and good to eat. That's all that matters, right? Oh, and I left out the sugar/candycane at the end of the recipe. They're good with or without them!

Enjoy!

Mormon Women

2011-11-25T13:00:00.004-07:00

Ashmae's done it again. She used watercolors to paint these beautiful portraits of women in the church. Along with the painting, she also compiled inspiring quotes of things these women have said over the years that will be included in the purchase of the print. I LOVE this print so much and can't wait to hang it in my house.

You can purchase yours here. She'll also be selling them at the Beehive Bazaar.

*Ooh! Something neat that she's doing- Ashley is going to start selling certain prints at bulk rate, so if you'd like to get a bunch for a church group, YW activity, etc. contact her and she'll hook you up with a discounted rate!

Full of Thanks

2011-11-24T08:35:00.003-07:00

I'm thankful for a lot of things. My three boys, Hawk, Cole and Matt. I'm thankful for my wonderful family and especially my loving parents. I'm thankful for their strong marriage of 34 years and counting, what an example for us all! I'm thankful for food and for Matt's hard work to provide us with it. I'm thankful for extended family close by. Years ago I think I took it for granted, but now I realize how blessed I am to have them so close. And last, but certainly not least, I'm GRATEFUL and THANKFUL for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what a wonderful blessing it is to have in my life. The list goes on, but I'll stop there for now.

Oh, and I'm grateful for this totally awesome picture that Matt and I found online last night in the Utah County records. I believe it's a picture of our house back in 1927 when it was first built. We were a little shocked to see that shed/"garage" in the back, because it's STILL standing (barely).

We also found pictures of our house through the years. It's amazing that they keep these kinds of records, especially for the public to view! It was interesting to see what it looked like 10 years ago, and a little creepy to know that our house was photographed within this year, while we were living in it and had no idea some creepster was outside taking pictures.

The Radmalls!

2011-11-21T20:51:00.001-07:00

This is one of my all-time favorite families! Kelli and I were roommates back in the day, both in Hawaii and Provo. Oh, the good old days!

Check out more of their shoot on the photo blog!

Look Who's Visiting!

2011-11-20T19:34:00.001-07:00

Baby Hawk, showing off all his tricks for Grandma & Grandpa M.!

Beautiful Baby

2011-11-17T20:40:00.002-07:00

Recently I feel like I've just been surrounded by beautiful babies. The 10+ friends and family members who were all pregnant at the same time as me all have had their babies We all sit around and chat, reminiscing, babies in hand, about the good past times just a few short weeks ago when we were all large and in charge. I love it.

I've done a LOT of baby photo shoots lately. It makes me love babies more and more each time. How adorable is baby Liam in this picture? He was honestly one of the sweetest, kindest babies I've ever met. More to come soon...

Collected Blog/Fifth & Hazel Gift Wrap

2011-11-17T14:01:00.004-07:00

One of the vendors that I'm most excited to see at The Bijou Market this year is Fifth & Hazel. Every year they have darling stuff, but THIS time Fifth & Hazel and The Collected Blog teamed up and added gift wrap to their collection. Not just any gift wrap, but ADORABLY designed gift wrap.

Each comes packaged in long sheets of three, with a fourth little "extra" sheet of contrasting design. They are also selling gift tags to go along with the wrapping paper as well!

Stop on by, the market is TOMORROW and SATURDAY!

Documenting Lazy Days

2011-11-16T15:02:00.003-07:00

Here's an update on Hawk.

13 weeks, happy, smiley (especially when Matt's around!), always laughing, still drooling, and enjoys tummy time!

Make It Pop!

2011-11-16T13:57:00.003-07:00

My friend Melanie, along with some other very talented people, created a darling, educational app for preschoolers. They group of designers noticed a shortage of well-designed children's app out there, so they decided to create one themselves.

I downloaded it yesterday and Cole has been obsessed with it...really. It's so darling and super interactive. Here's some more detailed info about it from the company:

Make It Pop from Ollibird on Vimeo.

Tryangle Labs is thrilled to announce the launch of Make it Pop, a fun and educational iPad and iPhone app for children. Make it Pop uses eye-catching, whimsical illustrations to teach numbers, letters, shapes, sizes, and colors. The app is designed with the preschooler in mind, but has also been tested with great success by older children with special needs and motor skill delays.

Kids can choose from five games within Make it Pop:

Popcorn: Pop the kernels and count along as the pieces bounce and fill up the screen. When they’re all popped, count backwards as you eat them up.

Bubbles: As Tucker blows bubbles, they form shapes in the sky! Pop the bubbles and watch the shapes magically reform.

Balloons: Each colorful floating balloon contains one letter of the alphabet. Pop the balloons and hear each letter announced.

Fireworks: Pick a rocket and trace a path into the night sky. When the rocket pops, you’ll see and hear a colorful explosion.

Bubble Gum: Roxie loves to blow bubbles of all sizes with her bright pink gum. Can you guess which size she’ll create next? Watch out for bees! Note: this game is a free bonus for users who share Make it Pop with friends.

App features:

Kid-friendly design

Bright, eye-catching colors and graphics

Easy, intuitive navigation

Simple, straightforward game play

Childproof info screen access (makes accidental taps easy to dismiss)

Designed for preschool age children

For iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Pricing and Availability:

Make it Pop is just $1.99 in the App store, Education category. Until 11/16, Make it Pop can be found in Apple’s exclusive New and Noteworthy section.

The Warner Family!

2011-11-14T20:31:00.001-07:00

More up on the photo blog!

Ashmae: LDS Twelve Apostles & Prophet Painting

2011-11-14T20:18:00.003-07:00

Ashmae recently created this unique watercolor of the modern day LDS (Mormon) apostles and Prophet! I love how even though they're faceless, you can really tell who they are! You can purchase yours HERE for a ridiculously great price!'

Bijou Market

2011-11-14T20:10:00.003-07:00

This weekend is the Bijou Market, people! THIS WEEKEND! I'm pretty excited about it. Unfortunately I won't be a vendor this time around, HOWEVER, I was feeling left out and still wanted to be a part of it, so I'm setting up shop for the cousin. Let me tell you, she has some PRETTY great new artwork to be featured at the market!

See you there???

25 Ways To Wear A Scarf

2011-11-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

You can thank me later.

Brothers

2011-11-07T13:28:00.002-07:00

A lot of people ask me if I think that Cole and Hawk look alike. I go back and forth, but frankly it's hard to remember exactly what Cole looked like at the exact same age that Hawk is at the moment. So today, on Hawk's 3 month (12 week) birthday, I decided to dig through the archives and this is what I found. I think they look pretty darn similar, especially in the photo of Hawk earlier today.

Hawk 3 Months! (12 weeks)

2011-11-07T09:24:00.003-07:00

Where does the time go? Really?! My tiny baby isn't a tiny baby anymore!

Things Hawk does:

Lots of cooing
Spit bubbles
Teething=LOTS of drooling (yes, he's teething!)
Belly laughing

Fall Day

2011-11-04T14:31:00.002-06:00

This morning we had an impromptu leaf party and invited the neighborhood kids. It was a blast!

Young & In Love

2011-11-04T14:30:00.001-06:00

Up on the photo blog...

Do You Like Massages?

2011-11-03T15:27:00.005-06:00

Does the title of this post sound a little bit creepy? Sorry, it's not supposed to.

Friends, good news! I'm going to be doing just a little bit of massage out of my house on certain Thursdays and Fridays! These first two weekends in November I'm having a $45 special! Times available: 5:30-6:30, and 7:00-8:00.

Did you know that I've been a licensed massage therapist for 5 years? For those five years I've worked at The Spa at Sundance as well as the Aveda spa Remedez. Experience is under my belt :)
Contact me if you'd like to book an appointment.

heathermildenstein@gmail.com

image source

Happy Weekend!

2011-10-28T20:33:00.002-06:00

Hope you all have a spooky, fallish weekend! I know we will!

Sunday Morning

2011-10-26T13:12:00.001-06:00

I love capturing real life. Here's Cole, waiting for our neighbor to come over and borrow butter.

Hawk 10 weeks

2011-10-26T13:11:00.000-06:00

Best Brothers.

The Faulkner Sisters/Cousin Shoot

2011-10-24T14:48:00.002-06:00

One of the funnest shoots I've had!

I love Alison and Andrea like sisters!

More coming soon...

Ollie

2011-10-20T13:39:00.002-06:00

Ollie is my cousin's three year old son. He cracks me up! I was so excited to hear what Lindsay wanted to do for the shoot because it was SO Ollie!

The Season of Fall

2011-10-19T10:41:00.002-06:00

It's tied with summer. I love it more than words. The smells, the perfect temperatures, the air. Everything.

Every day in the late afternoon the boys and I go outside to play a little baseball. Cole gets pretty into it, and hits line drives so far I have to walk half way down the street to go get the ball. I'm proud :) We're working on his BYU Baseball scholarship. I've gone off on a tangent. How do you not brag about your kids though? I just can't help it.

Anyway, the point is that we're trying to soak up every last millisecond before it gets freezing.

Specials

2011-10-17T20:39:00.005-06:00

My mom took some really sweet pictures while she was here last week. I love them so much and wanted to share! Thanks mom! Love you!

Cole and me snuggling on the porch during a freezing cold storm

It's weird seeing a picture of you taking a picture, don't you think??

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE!

2011-10-17T13:36:00.003-06:00

Yo Gabs (as we call it in our house) has been a favorite in our house since Cole was old enough to sit in front of the TV and watch shows (yes, I'm that kind of mom). We love it and feel like Muno and Brobee are part of the family. And guess what!? The whole show is coming to Salt Lake City again this year!

The Yo Gabba Gabba guys want to give you Coterie readers $10 off!

Here are the details:

NOVEMBER 9th- 2PM & 6PM shows
Kingsbury Hall- SLC

To get your DISCOUNTED TICKETS, go HERE and use coupon code GABBA!

Hope to see you there!

Christmas Card Pictures!

2011-10-15T14:47:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year again! Christmas card picture-taking season! I'm swamped with bookings, and only have 3 slots left before the end of November. I finally posted some of my sessions from the summer over on the photo blog. Take a look! E-mail me if you'd like to fill one of those slots!

heathermildenstein@gmail.com

Do YOU Instagram?

2011-10-13T12:52:00.004-06:00

I'll admit it. I'm an instagram addict. I love seeing my friend's lives throughout the day. I also love documenting mine. Do you instagram? What's your username? Mine is heathmild. See ya!

Big G's Monsters Cereal

2011-10-13T12:41:00.003-06:00

I've noticed these monster cereals every year and wonder if they're any good. Well, turns out they are! I was sent a few boxes to try out, and we really like them, especially Cole! Our family favorite is FrankenBerry. Delicious!

*Did you know that these monster cereals have been around for 40 years?! Amazing! To learn more about these monster cereals, visit the General Mills website.

Hawk's Baby Blessing + A Birthday

2011-10-12T10:45:00.002-06:00

We had a lovely weekend. It was filled with fun and family. Here it is, documented.

Made By Jewls: Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-12T10:14:00.004-06:00

Better late than never? Sorry, I know I was supposed to announce the winner yesterday, but it just didn't happen. Forgive me? The winner of the Made By Jewls $20 gift certificate is:

Congratulations Darilyn! I'll get you in contact with Julianne of Made By Jewls!

Thanks to all who participated, and a special thanks to Julianne for hosting this giveaway!

My Darling Matt

2011-10-06T22:11:00.003-06:00

He turns 30 this Sunday!

I hope you have a happy weekend! As for us, we'll be partying hard. Between Matt's 30th birthday and Hawk's baby blessing, we have a lot to look forward to this weekend!

Made By Jewls: Giveaway + Review

2011-10-06T12:59:00.006-06:00

I've been a big fan of Julianne and her Made By Jewls products for YEARS now. Not sure how many pairs of earrings I own from her, but it's a lot! I think I could make any of her earrings go with any given outfit I own. Versatile. Dress up, dress down, I love her stuff.

I recently received her darling Trick or Treat earrings, (my personal fave), Gold earrings, and a pair that haven't been listed yet (exciting, I know!). Needless to say, they are so cute!

(photo by my mom!)

Make sure to check out Made By Jewls Halloween collection too, including Ghostly, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Witch's Brew, just to name a few!

Her stuff is fabulous, and wonderfully priced as well, I might add!

You can check updates and see how great Julianne is personally by looking at her blog.

Julianne is giving away a $20 gift certificate to one Coterie reader!

Here's how to enter:

Check out Made By Jewls
-Leave a comment here, saying which pair of earrings is your favorite!
-Blog, tweet, and/or facebook about this giveaway and comment back here with a link for extra entries.
-The winner will be announced Tuesday, October 11th.

Good luck!

Being Elmo

2011-10-03T20:34:00.002-06:00

Just saw this on A Cup Of Jo and loved it so much that I had to share with you. Will you be seeing this? I will!

Favor Days Giveaway Winner

2011-09-30T08:30:00.002-06:00

Congratulations Alicia Nelson! I'll e-mail you the info to get your gift certificate! And a special thanks to Favor-Days.com for the great giveaway!

I Am Blessed

2011-09-29T09:53:00.003-06:00

Hawk- six weeks. Cole- being amazing as (almost) always.

Favor Days Giveaway!

2011-09-26T12:58:00.004-06:00

Favor-Days.com is a website that specializes in party favors for a variety of occasions, including showers, weddings, holidays, and much more! There are thousands of items on their website and I had a fun time looking through all the great merchandise they offer. Below are a few of my favorites!

Favor-Days.com is giving away $25.00 gift certificate to one lucky Coterie reader! Here's how to enter:

-Check out Favor-Days.com
-Just leave a comment here, any comment will do
-Blog, tweet, and/or facebook about this giveaway and comment back here with a link for extra entries.
-The winner will be announced Friday, September 30th.

Good luck!

Shirley J

2011-09-22T19:40:00.005-06:00

Ever heard of Shirley J? Well if you haven't, you're in for a real treat! A friend of mine dropped off a few packets of the Universal Sauce to try out, and believe me, it was delicious! The Universal Sauce is exactly what it sounds like- a creamy, versatile sauce that you can use to make soup, casseroles, desserts, and many more things delicious!

I personally loved making the Broccoli Cheese Soup. It was so creamy and tasty, not to mention it was extremely simple to make! The Universal Sauce packets have a shelf life of 25 years so it doubles as food storage as well!

There are other products that Shirley J carries. You can find more about it at CookShirleyJ.com

If you have questions or want to get special deals, promotions and discounts, email ShirleyJChef@gmail.com

Here's a delicious recipe that my friend Lindsay recommended to me for Chicken Enchiladas to make with the sauce:

Chicken Enchiladas

1 c. Shirley J Universal Sauce
1 tsp Shirley J Chicken Bouillon
4 6 Oz Chicken Breasts(boneless, skinless)
4 c. Water
8 oz Can Diced Green Chilies
16 oz Sour Cream
18 6" Corn Tortillas
4 c. Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
Oil

Directions: Combine water, Chicken Bouillon, and chicken breasts in covered stockpot. Boil until chicken is completely cooked (20 minutes after boiling), reserve liquid. Pull or cut chicken into small pieces and set aside. Measure 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth and combine with Universal Sauce, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a slow boil, simmer for 5 minutes, and remove from heat. Add chicken, chilies, and sour cream. Stir to combine and set aside. In large heavy fry pan add oil to cover the bottom (½ inch). Heat oil to approx 350 degrees (not smoking). Fry tortillas in oil, one at a time, for 5 seconds on each side. Layer tortillas with paper towel or napkin and continue process until all are fried. In bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, spoon a small amount of sauce mixture (approximately ½ inch deep), followed by a layer of 6 tortillas, sprinkle with cheese. Repeat this process finishing with sauce and cheese layer. Leave a 1” space on top of casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until mixture is hot and bubbly.

Hawk's Birth Announcement!

2011-09-22T08:38:00.003-06:00

The announcements are printed, painted, and sent out. Matt had this great idea to watercolor them, even though neither of us have ever watercolored in our lives. I think they turned out pretty well. We didn't print very many, so please don't feel bad if you didn't receive one and feel like you should've. We only sent them to close family.

We liked the idea of each announcement being unique in their own way. It was a late night and Matt wanted the watercolors right then, so he found a recipe online, whipped up a few homemade watercolors (I know, who IS he?) and we got to experimenting. Some of the watercolor practicing actually turned into cool artwork from Cole, but that's a whole other post.

Home Depot Birthday

2011-09-19T19:40:00.002-06:00

Cole attended to cutest birthday party ever at The Home Depot this afternoon. Each child got to build their own wooden car, and each got a darling apron. More pictures to come...

4 Weeks!

2011-09-14T12:41:00.001-06:00

It's Such A Good Feeling To Know You're Alive

2011-09-13T13:35:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday Rachel (Matt's sis) and Dylan invited us to go roastie a little marshmallows up the canyon. I've been wanting to do this ALL summer, and so I jumped at the chance! It was so wonderful. The company, the weather, the food. We packed tiny dinners that consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, and watermelon. It was perfect! Being outside made me remember that I was still alive.

Anyone wanna go with us again this week? Seriously though...

Time- Not Enough Of It

2011-09-08T12:31:00.006-06:00

Noticed my lack of posting the last few weeks? I just don't have time/desire to think up blog posts right now. Two kids, though well-behaved and obedient, are still extremely time consuming, energy-suckers. And that is my priority. I wish I had time right now for both. I recently read a great quote in a new book that I got that says,

"The average women today, I believe, would do well to appraise her interest, evaluate the activities in which she is engaged, and then take steps to simplify her life, putting things of first importance first, placing emphasis where the rewards will be greatest and mist enduring, and ridding herself of the less rewarding activities.". - Belle S. Spafford

And that is exactly what I'm attempting to do. So, with that being said, bear with me while I get better at time-management and de-cluttering my life. Until then I'll be busy building forts, having dance parties, and taking poor-quality photos of my children, because I think it's pretty rewarding :) You'll see me around though!! I'll still be here, when I feel so inclined! xoxo

Fort that will most likely be up for the rest of the week.

Song of the...month? Imagine Dragons- Tokyo. Cole insists on "repeat" mode on the song all day, every day. These are his dance moves.

Cole always needs to make sure Hawk is dancing too.

Excited For Fall

2011-09-06T11:06:00.003-06:00

These little sweaters from Banana Republic gets me excited for Fall! I love everything about that season. The clothes, the temperature, the leaves, the air. I can feel it coming full force soon...

Billboard Poetry Project

2011-09-04T18:26:00.003-06:00

Ashley is always making the world a better place. Recently she came up with a fantastic idea to put beautiful poetry on a billboard. In a nutshell, she proposed the idea to some people, got a committee together, won a grant, and made the whole thing happen! They made it into a poetry contest and one lucky poet got his entry up on the billboard. I'm so proud Ashley her and think she's pretty much amazing!

You can read more details in this Daily Herald article, and also on The Billboard Project site.

This Saturday, September 10th Ashley will be holding a reception in light of the new lovely billboard up on State Street. All are welcome to come, and all are welcome to participate too. How do you participate? If you'd like, you can bring a piece of artwork to set up as part of a show the night of the reception, kids and teens included.

See the flyer below for reception details...

How To: The Perfect Swaddle

2011-08-30T13:40:00.003-06:00

Yes, this is a blog post on how to swaddle babies. Why? Because I'm obsessed with it, that's why. I like my babies swaddled nice, tight, and clean.

The other day I instagramed (yes, I instagram! heathmild...find me) a picture of Hawk, and a friend commented that I should give swaddling classes. I joked back and said, "Yeah, I love swaddling, maybe I'll do a tutorial about it on my blog! haha!". But what I was really thinking was "Yeah...that's actually a really good idea. I get compliments on my swaddle often, and it's time to share with all my secrets". So here it is.

The key to nice swaddles that don't fall apart and get loosey-goosey easily is, when you're doing each fold, make them tight. Not cut-off-circulation tight, but like a 7 out of 10 tight. Tighter than you expect. The babies like it, I promise. Plus, their arms shouldn't escape as easily.

There are TWO swaddles that I like to do, the first one I'm going to show you I copied from the nurses at the hospital. I'll call it The Square Swaddle. The second I'll call The Triangle Swaddle. I got this one from a card that came with my Aden & Anais muslin blankets.

The Square Swaddle

1. Starting with the long side of the blanket, put your babies neck in the middle. Make sure his arms are down. If you need to, hold them down.

2. Take a top corner and tuck it over to the opposite arm, right above the elbow.

Make sure it's nice and tight!

3. Now do the same with the other top corner of the blanket. Tuck it under the baby nice and tight.

4. Now you have a strange opening at the feet. Taking the bottom corners and bottom edge of the blanket, fold it up. If your blanket is really long, fold it up as high as you want it, then fold it back down.

Take the corners that you just folded up, and tuck each one under the baby, again, nice and snug!

You're done! Now pick up your baby and love on him (or her).

The Triangle Swaddle
This one is really good with the muslin blankets because they're so big, but you can do it with any baby blanket, really.

1. Fold your blanket into a triangle. If your blanket isn't really too big, just fold the top corner down.

2. Lay your babies neck at the top of the triangle, so there's a point at the bottom. Fold one side over and tuck about a hand's width under the babies arm (maybe a little more?).

3. Take the bottom point and fold it up. If it's longer than needed, tuck the point over one shoulder.

4. Take the last corner of the blanket and wrap it nice and tight around the opposite side of the baby.

Pulling really snug at the point is key!

5. Tuck the corner in the bottom!

Hawk & Remy

2011-08-30T13:20:00.003-06:00

My mom sent me some funny little pictures of Ashley and I when we were just wee babes. The resemblances were striking (I thought) between Ash & my new babies to us moms, so we decided to quickly recreate the photo. Granted, Ashley and I are only 2 months apart, and Hawk & Remy are 5...

Spying

2011-08-24T10:35:00.002-06:00

I spy on Hawk all day long. I can't help it.

Happy Week #1, Baby Hawk!

2011-08-22T10:59:00.002-06:00

Here's a smorgasbord of photos from last week. It was so wonderful, fun, exhausting, and amazing all at the same time! Today my mom went home, and Matt went back to work. So here I am, a mother of more than one child trying this thing out for the first time by myself.

I have to say, I am humbled and amazed by my beautiful neighbors and family who drop by thoughtful gifts, treats, meals, and just friendship. It literally makes be cry every time I think about how lucky I am to live where I do. Neighbors who I barely even know come over and are pouring out love. I couldn't ask for anything more. It makes me want to be a better person.

At The Hospital

Settling In At Home

Grandma's Last Night...S'mores In The Backyard

The Housecoat

2011-08-19T14:12:00.005-06:00

My mom brought me a housecoat for nursing, and it's pretty much the best gift she's EVER given me, besides the gift of life, of course.

Have you ever heard of a housecoat? Some people call it a day dress. It's a loose-fitting, snap down dress that is the best thing in THE WORLD for nursing. The only other people you'll see wearing a housecoat besides me are your 80 yr. old grandmas. In fact, I'm pretty sure when Matt's grandma visited she wore one up for breakfast.

My mom told me that for all 4 of her pregnancies, her mom (my grandma) bought her one each time she visited for the births. She wanted my mom to feel "pretty" after she had the baby. I'm just a little disappointed that she couldn't find one to buy me for Cole's birth. Mom, next time you know what i'll be expecting. She says they're pretty hard to find to buy. I suspect that the people who are in the market for something like a housecoat are dying off, if you know what I mean. I personally like to think that I fit right into my little bungalow wearing this 1940's housecoat.

Why am I writing this strange post? For a couple reasons. 1. Even though I kind of joke about wearing my nice new housecoat, it really is the best thing that has ever happened to my loungewear wardrobe. 2. I expect a lot of visitors within the next couple days, and I need to let those visitors know what to expect from my and choice of clothing. Don't think I'll be changing for anyone. This is what I'll be wearing.

No more pulling up shirts awkwardly to nurse. It's just a matter of unsnapping a button or two. What about button-up shirts, you may ask. This is all one piece, loose-fitting, pocketed, no pulling, twisting, or uncomfortable waistbands. One size pretty much fits all. Have I sold you yet? I'm thinking of buying some patterns off of etsy and making more. Really though.

Hawk Norton Mildenstein

2011-08-17T16:16:00.004-06:00

He's here! Baby Hawk was born on Monday, August 15th in the evening. He's perfect in every way and we just can't get enough of him!

We're home now and adjusting well, being a family of four! I love my boys!

More photos and details coming soon!

Hawk was named after Matt's sweet grandpa. His initials are H.A.W.K. (Howard Arthur William Kohler) and some people called him Hawk. Clever, huh? We thought it was pretty cool. He was an amazing man with amazing stories about his life! You can see a picture of the original H.A.W.K. hanging in the nursery. Norton is my maiden name.

40 Weeks +5 days= Get Here NOW

2011-08-15T09:41:00.004-06:00

If you've ever been overdue with a baby, I'm sure you can relate to the obsessive thought of "WHEN is this baby coming?!". It takes over your life, and that's all you can think about. Cole is certainly ready, talking to my belly and telling tiny baby to "come out now and play!". Matt is the most ready out of all of us. For the last three weeks, researching into labor-inducing suggestions, and implementing them immediately.

Now it's just a waiting game. I expect him to be here tomorrow or Wednesday!! I'll let you know! Stay tuned!

xoxo, Heather

I can't wait to get another addition into the family photo! (I was about 1 month pregnant here, so technically he IS in the picture!)

photo by Nicole Christensen

Due Date

2011-08-10T08:59:00.003-06:00

Well, today's the day. I have a feeling it's not THE day, but it's my due date. Not sure what to do with myself. I have a feeling it'll for sure be another week. The worst part is that everyone that was due this week with me (about 5 other friends I know) have already had their babies! Lucky!

Were YOU overdue? What did you do with those extra days?

photo via Bump Smitten

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

2011-08-10T08:03:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was my first attempt at making cinnamon rolls, and I'd like to say that it was pretty successful for a first-timer. Yeast scares me, but with a few phone calls to my SIL Rachel (queen of all cinnamon rolls) and moral support, it worked!

A couple friends requested the recipe, so I decided to post it. Here's the thing about cinnamon rolls. They're pretty easy to make, but it just takes a lot of time. It's SO worth it though! This recipe is amazing because it's soft, gooey, and just sensually delicious (right Alison?..I watched her eat one).

Now on with the show.

image source

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

1 ½ Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

FILLING
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 ½ Tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

ICING
8 Tbsp. butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cream cheese
½ tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
1 . For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl or Bosch. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well.
2.  Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. (Or use the Bosch)
3.  Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled.
4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide. (About ¼ inch thick)
5.  Preheat oven to 400˚ degrees.
6.  To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and softened butter in a bowl.
7.  Spread (with hands) evenly over the surface of the dough. From the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
8.  Cut the dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan. Rise until doubled and bake for about 10 minutes or until light brown.
9.  While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
10. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
11. When the rolls are done, and half way cooled, spread generously with icing.

A Pinch of Peach Giveaway WINNER!

2011-08-09T07:34:00.003-06:00

Congratulations Bailee! E-mail me and I'll get you in touch with Lauren of A Pinch of Peach to claim your prize!

Thanks to all who participated, and a big thanks to A Pinch of Peach for the great giveaway!

winner chosen via random.org

Me. Waiting.

2011-08-08T16:24:00.002-06:00

Fat and happy after our mid-day snack indulgence. (40 weeks pregnant)

photo by Nicole and her iPhone

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2011-08-08T16:17:00.004-06:00

Ever since I pinned this Jalapeno Popper Dip, I've been NEEDING to make it. So today I finally did. When the dip was about 5 minutes away from finishing baking, I suddenly realized that it wouldn't be as fun to eat the entire dish myself, so I called a couple cousin-friends to help me indulge. The girls came over immediately. It was impromptu, and oh-so delightful!

The recipe is SUPER easy, pretty much just throwing stuff in a bowl, mixing it up, and topping it with even more deliciousness. Oh, and I finally realized that Panko (japanese breadcrumbs) are my new best friend. Will forever have a stockpile in my cupboard.

You can find the recipe here. Make it, you'll LOVE it!

photo by Nicole and her iPhone

Giveaways Galore Reminder

2011-08-08T06:58:00.003-06:00

Don't forget, today's the last day to enter the Pinch of Peach giveaway HERE!

ALSO, my mom is doing an Umba Lumba (sock monster) giveaway over on Natalie's blog! Make sure to enter!

Mer-Babe & Mer-Hunk

2011-08-05T08:51:00.003-06:00

I know I talk about my friend Alison a lot on this blog, but she is just so creative, I can't get enough of her (just ask her how often I "drop by" her house each week).

She'll be making an appearance at Craft Lake City next weekend, and has created these ADORABLE Mer-Babe and Mer-Man patterns to sell there. That's right...you'll be able to make YOUR OWN mer-hotties for yourself with her affordable patterns! They should be up in her shop pretty soon.

Anyway, if you don't have plans next weekend (or if you do, clear your schedule), stop on by Craft Lake City and check out her stuff. Craft shows are the only place she sells actual plushies. Otherwise you can get her patterns in the Little Tiny shop.

A Pinch of Peach GIVEAWAY!

2011-08-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

I'm happy to announce that Lauren of A Pinch of Peach is hosting the most darling giveaway today! A Pinch of Peach is an adorable company that specializes in dainty baby headbands that are perfect for any occasion!

One thing I love about these headbands is that it's not too overwhelming on the baby, but just enough accessory to complete a look. Every one of the fabrics used on the headbands are just so cute! I love how Lauren has such a variety of looks and colors to choose from.

*Don't have a girl? These make PERFECT gifts for your favorite niece or neighbor!

Now on to the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive their choice of either:

-TWO bows
or
-a onesie
or
-a bib

Here's how to enter:

-Check out A Pinch of Peach
-Just leave a comment here saying your favorite item in the shop
-Blog, tweet, and/or facebook about this giveaway and comment back here with a link for extra entries.
-The winner will be announced Tuesday, August 9th

Our Native American Themed Nursery

2011-08-03T20:31:00.008-06:00

Just a few weeks into my pregnancy, I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted the nursery to turn out. With Cole we were renting, and with such little space I just felt like I couldn't do a whole lot with the room, so I didn't. But now with our own space and more room to work with, it made it just that much more exciting!

I like giving myself a little bit of a challenge, so with a very small budget to work with, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Almost everything in the nursery was a DIY project, craft, or deeply discounted sale item. There are a couple walls that I still would like to adorn with some sort of art, but I'm just waiting for just the right thing. I think the minimalism will do for now though.

So, without further ado, I give you our nursery!

The Little Tiny mobile

Just Another Mildenstein Weekend

2011-08-01T08:31:00.003-06:00

This weekend was great. I feel like we accomplished a lot. The Lawn got mowed, the nursery got 95% finished, I edited two photo shoots, only leaving me with one more to go, and Cole's curtains were sewn and put up.

Cole has learned that, with enough persistence and asking the same question over and over and over and over again, anything is possible. Exhibit a: riding on dad's shoulders while mowing the lawn. This is Cole's way of "helping" mow the lawn.

Cole's curtains were finally made and hung, with help from my seamstress and personal fabric consultant, Alison. I don't think (I KNOW) these would've turned out as great without her HUGE help! I think I'm going to get blackout shades to go behind it soon. The curtain tutorial adapted from here.

The nursery got painted, crib assembled, dresser drawers organized, filled, and new knobs put on, and things were hung on the walls. SO excited to show you the finished product SOON!

Matt thought it'd be funny/fun/worth a try to look up labor-inducing acupoints on YouTube. Pictured below is apparently what he got out of the videos. You can see what we watched here and here.

Baby Arrival Checklist

2011-07-29T10:35:00.006-06:00

Lately I've been obsessing over my hospital bag and the thing I need to put in it. I think maybe because I didn't really do a hospital bag with my first delivery. When I went into the hospital for a quick checkup with Cole still inside my belly, I found out that I wasn't leaving the hospital that day, and that I would be admitted immediately. And of course I had prepared nothing. It wasn't that big of a deal because we lived so close, but there were definitely things I wish I would've thought of that I won't forget this time! The hospital pretty much provides everything, but there's just something about having your OWN stuff that's comforting.

I did a search on Pinterest and found the greatest treasure- this cute checklist, AND the blog it came from, Lay Baby Lay.

Well, I better go fill my bag now! Last night I felt like this baby of mine was just going to fall right out (really). TMI? Sorry. See you later!

Is there anything on the list that you'd add? Do tell!

Download this checklist HERE.

More Waiting...

2011-07-28T10:07:00.006-06:00

Besides painting, shopping, cleaning (sort of), decorating, and sewing (Alison, I started on the curtains!) we do a lot of this lately..basking in summer's glory. Yesterday Cole woke up and begged me to take him to the pool, along with a text from Alison asking if I wanted to hit up the Peaks. As much as I wanted to go, my body is physically spent. That ten minute walk just isn't going to happen anymore. So I convinced Cole that our single sprinkler in the front yard was just as awesome. So that's what we did. We basked, we played, we loved every second.

After Matt got home there was the craziest flash flood storm I've ever seen. Hail was involved too. One of our favorite things to do during a storm is sit on the porch and watch. It's magic.

On another note, 3 out of my 8 friends and cousins that are all due within about a month of eachother have already had their babies. Two of them weren't due till the week I was due. Jealous. I'm just waiting. Sitting, waiting, wishing.

Have An Awesome Summer!

2011-07-27T08:20:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we made our regular afternoon stop by Alison's house. We decided to walk down to the local gas station and get beverages all around. Cole got his first Slurpee and loved it (thanks Alison). Not only did Alison buy us drinks (I owe her my life), she taught me how to properly fill a Slurpee cup. So embarrassing! Little did I know you put the lid on FIRST, and then fill the cup through the large hole in the top of the lid. She made me feel better by telling me it was just because I was pregnant, but I think we both knew it wasn't that at all. She's way too nice.

When we got home I ran inside to get my purse so I could pick up Matt from work. When I came back outside I saw Cole, looking more awesome than ever, sitting on the porch drinking his bevie (beverage). I don't want summer to ever, EVER end.

Potty Training Young Children

2011-07-25T13:21:00.012-06:00

I get asked almost weekly how I potty trained Cole at such a young age. Whether it be a friend, a lady in the post office who notices Cole's big boy undies hanging out the top of his shorts, family members, e-mails from readers, etc, I get asked a lot. So to the curious mom's out there, this one's for you!

Before I start getting on the goods of the post, let me clear the air with a few disclaimers. I know some people have passionate feelings about potty training and things may get crazy in the comment section, as sometimes they tend to do with hot topic issues on this blog.

1. Potty training is not easy.
2. I really do believe that every child is different in the way that they learn and pick up on things. Keep this in mind when reading this post. It may not be the way you want to go about it...that's fine. I don't care. Really.
3. No, I didn't wait until I thought Cole was "ready", was able to tell me he needed to go, or gave me signs. He was 18 months old when we started potty training, and I did it when I was ready. It was more of teaching Cole a new habit because he was so young. And it worked.

image via Baby Bjorn

Now on to the good stuff. To be honest, I didn't read a single article or book on the topic. I wanted to, but just never got around to it. I asked for suggestions from moms, grandmas, etc. I took everyone's advice, used some, didn't use others, and did what I think Cole would react best to. Potty training a child that's older may be a little different than my experience because they're more independent, vocal, and strong-willed. Not that it's a bad thing to potty train when they're older, it's just different from my experiences so my tactics may or may not work for you. Call me a mean mom, but these are reasons why I thought it was a good idea to start young, and because he couldn't say no yet :)

Supplies needed:

Toilet Seat
- Invest in a good one! We went through a couple different seats before we found one that we loved. Keep in mind if it's for a boy or girl. At first we got this Munchkin one because we liked that the seat was squishy, had handles, and was simple-looking. We ended up not liking it because it didn't have a pee cup thing (for lack of a better term), so when Cole would pee, if he wasn't pointing down it would just shoot straight out onto the floor. Sounds funny now, but it's not when you're cleaning it! It also had a hard plastic seam on the inside of the seat that pee would get caught in and go all around. It was hard to clean. Cole's little butt was so small too that the seam scratched his back and butt and made it bleed! Ouch!

We ended up getting the Baby Bjorn seat and we LOVE it! It's all one piece so it's comfortable, easy to clean, and very light weight for Cole to put on and off of the toilet. It was one of the pricier ones, but SO worth it. We'll use it for all of our kids.

I wouldn't recommend the little seats that sit on the ground for a number of reasons. First of all, I wouldn't want to clean it out every time Cole did his business. Gross. Secondly, I don't want my child to be able to just get up and walk away from it. Third, I wanted Cole to get used to a real toilet, and not have to adjust to a big one later. You can't carry those tiny floor ones around with you in public. But again, to each his own.

Flushable wipes
-These don't have to be anything fancy. Pampers and Huggies sell them, but we usually just get the Target brand. You can also just use adult Cottonelle flushable wipes. Whatever!

Bribery in a jar
-M&M's, skittles, stickers, toys, ANYTHING your kids like that are small and can be easily distributed through hard work is perfect for the jar. Cole preferred M&M's and stickers. Put the jar on the back of the toilet. Let it be visible. Make it known that the ONLY way to get a treat is to sit on the toilet and go to the bathroom, or (in the beginning) at least give it a good try.

image source

Entertainment
-Keep a stack of books in the bathroom. One of Cole's favorites (suggested by SIL Kindsay) was Everyone Poops. (funny side note story, my nieces and nephews who stayed at our house a few weeks ago found this book and were disgusted. I heard them in the other room discussing it for a couple days in a row, saying that it was a "bad" book, and "not to read it" because it was "really bad". I walked in and asked what would happen if they couldn't poop. It put them into deep thought and the subject changed).

Finger puppets were always a hit too. When your child is waiting for a few minutes to "go", put on a little puppet show.

Step Stool
- Even if they're still too little to get up on the toilet seat themselves (poor Cole!), it's great for washing hands. We have these two Ikea ones.

Undies
-I would suggest about 10 pair. If you're starting young, you may find it difficult to find small enough ones in the store. Trust me, they're there, you're just looking in the wrong place. They're not in the little boy/girl underwear section. They're actually in the baby section, by the cloth diaper covers and such. They sell size 2 there. We got Cole a variety. We bought some fun disney ones (so tiny and cute!) that he'd like. They are the more traditional underwear that you'd normally think of. We also got him Gerber Training Pants (found at Target). I liked these because they're underwear, but they're thicker so that when accidents happen, you don't have a HUGE mess (just a little one) all over your floor or carpet. The child still knows that they had an accident, but it's not as big of a mess for you. This is the reason I don't recommend Pull-Ups. To me, Pull-Ups are just diapers that you can pull down. The mess pulls away from the child, and they don't really know they had an accident because they feel just like diapers. Again, my two cents, but to each his own.

Now that we have supplies covered, it's on to the action!

Dedicate at least 5-7 days of homebound-ness. Moms, it really is up to YOU. Here's my philosophy (and here's where I might get arguments, hate comments, and who know what else). 100% dedication and commitment is KEY to successful potty training. Mom, if you're not consistent in a regular routine of putting your child on the toilet (especially for the first while of training), there's no way that your young child will be able to stay consistent either. And the other way around. If you're completely consistent and dedicated, you will start seeing results and consistency. You can do it! It's hard, but SO worth it! Who really wants to spend ALL that money on diapers anyway, not me! Who really wants to wipe smelly poop all day long? Not me!

How I started:

1. Have a talk. Children understand more than we think. I remember sitting down with Cole and telling him that he's a big boy now and he gets to wear big boy undies! I let him pick out the cool ones at the store, let him hold them, and really talked it up like it was something totally awesome (which it is!). I told him that poop and pee goes in the toilet now, and any time he needs to go all he has to do is tell me and we'll run to the toilet. I reiterated ALL the time that poop and pee goes in the toilet, especially when he had accidents.

2. Put the undies on (not on you, on the child). Show him what he looks like in the mirror with them. Tell him how cool they are. Let him call his grandma and tell her that he's wearing big boy undies now (am I taking this too far :) For those first 5-7 days, don't even worry about putting pants on your child. There's no point.

3. For the first couple days (again, this is what I did, adjust accordingly to your own child and what YOU think), put him on the toilet every 30-60 minutes. Yes, EVERY 30-60 minutes. Maybe even more frequently. Maybe for the first day, every 20 minutes until he goes. After you know he went, adjust your sitting times accordingly. For the most part, if you feed your child at the same times every day, he'll poop around the same time every day. Be aware of his schedules. It makes life a whole lot easier. Now, obviously it won't be super pleasant for either one of you after the first few times. Try to make it fun! When your child (accidentally or intentionally...usually the first few times they go on the toilet it's accidentally), make SURE to point out that they're PEEING or POOPING! Make sure they see that they're going. Point and cheer! The second they're done give them a treat. Make it a HUGE deal! When they're done doing their business, I would say, "you're all done! what a big boy" or something like that, and get them off the toilet. Let them look at it in the toilet and let them flush it. It's fun and exciting for them (or at least it was for Cole).

Sometimes poop training can be harder than pee training. We would tell cole to try to "squeeeeze" it out. He would try SOOO hard, and it would usually work! Too graphic? Whatever works, right?

Cole- 21 months

4. Accidents happen. You will have many, MANY accidents. It's okay. Don't get mad at your child. You don't want him to be scared to go to the bathroom. When Cole would have an accident, I would try my hardest to catch him mid-stream, say "Uh-Oh!" RUN him into the bathroom, and set him on the toilet. No treat was given, unless he held it while we were running and finished in the toilet. Again, I would tell him that peepee goes in the toilet. If I didn't get to him mid stream and the act was already committed, the SECOND I would see it, I would run him into the bathroom and put him on the toilet, show him his mess, and say that it goes in the toilet. EVERY TIME he had any sort of an accident I'd take him to the toilet. I know of a friend who potty trained their two year old and the first time he had a poop accident they made him help clean it out of his undies. He never had an accident again. Haha! Whatever works!

5. After a while you obviously have to go out in public. Be prepared. Keep with you two sets of undies, wipes, change of pants, and a plastic bag. They sell these little bags at Babies R Us that are for messy diapers. They fit perfect in purses and if you carry a couple around all they time they will be life-savers in "messy" situations. They're good for messy clothes and undies until you get home. Make sure you take your child to the bathroom right before you leave the house, and at first, try not to be out too long, maybe no more than an hour. You will have accidents in public, no doubt. If your child is anything like mine, it's a little bit of a punishment to make him sit in his mess for a little bit till you can get somewhere to clean him up. It's ok. If your child tells you he needs to go to the bathroom while out in public, take him and put him on the toilet facing backwards (if he can't stand and pee yet). It works like a charm! Not sure what you do with girls...I guess just set them on? :)

6. After a few months, just when you think your child's totally potty trained, accidents will happen. It's ok. It's a long haul, but well worth it!

7. THE ONLY time I use pull ups it at the nursery at church on Sundays. The only reason I use them is because sometimes the nursery workers don't know Cole's potty trained, and if he happens to have an accident it's taken care of. I'm yet to find he's had an accident, but it's a "just in case" thing. Between the second and third hour of church I like to go take him to the bathroom.

8. For the first while, Cole was still too young to actually tell me he needed to go. After he was trained, he's just know to hold it until I took him. He trusted that I would take him, and I trusted that he would hold it. It worked well. When we were first training though, I wouldn't ask, I'd tell. "Cole, it's time to go to the bathroom...". Now that it's been a while, I'll ask him if he needs to go, and he knows if he does or not. He also tells me if he needs to go. Sometimes he does need a little reminder that he needs to go though, especially if he's playing with friends or with really fun toys!

I know this is a lot if info, but I've been asked so many times that I thought I'd write it down. Here's a little overview of the most important things to remember:

Cole- 2.5 yrs

1. It's up to MOM to BE CONSISTENT
2. Praise, praise, praise
3. Bribe if necessary
4. After EVERY accident (even better mid-stream), put your child on the toilet
5. Don't get mad. It's okay to be a little firm though.
6. Be consistent
7. Be consistent
8. Be consistent

I'm happy to answer any questions you have! Again, I'm not an expert by any means, and I only had one child to focus on while potty training. This post is from my experience only and I do understand that every child is different and my tactics may not work for you.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

xoxo, Heather

Crewcuts Cardigan

2011-07-25T08:40:00.006-06:00

I wish I had all the money in the world to buy Cole adorable clothes like this cardigan! Isn't it so hip it hurts?!

HELP: What Baby Swing Should I get?!

2011-07-22T14:17:00.003-06:00

We survived one baby (Cole) without a swing (gasp!). I know, I know. I think we just didn't realize the awesomeness of them, and we really didn't have the space. But now we know that they are a must-have, and we have the space. Now the hunt starts.

The swing pictured is the sexiest one I could find, (why do they ALL have to be so ugly?) but I really don't know what to look for in a baby swing. What would YOU recommend, or not recommend? Do tell! I really do need some help looking!

Cousins

2011-07-21T20:03:00.003-06:00

Cousins Ollie, Dash and Cole's endless summer!

Matt's iPhone

Wedding Favor Ideas

2011-07-21T15:28:00.010-06:00

A reader recently wrote me an e-mail asking about wedding favor suggestions for the guests at her best friend's wedding in a few weeks. She said that the wedding is going to be outdoors, rustic, chic, with a modern twist.

I went through my files and pulled some of my favorite ideas. There's a pretty good variety, depending on budget, time, etc. Here are some suggestions I love.

*all images and ideas are from Style Me Pretty, with the exception of the cafe cookies, found at Intimate Weddings.

Potted succulents are so beautiful. You can find tiny pots at walmart, and possibly get a deal buying the plants in bulk at a nursery.

A "candy bar". Guests can fill pretty little bags of candy as they leave.

People seem to love anything in jars. Local (or not local) honey could be a hit. Add a honey stick for the perfect touch!

Your favorite cookies, homemade or from a local bakery could be very fun! Package in blank paper CD cases with customized stickers to seal!

Jars of jam! Yummy!

*I also love those pretty, round lollipops with the wooden sticks. They're so pretty in big, glass vases. I know where you can buy them in bulk if you're interested. I couldn't find a picture though!

Taste Of The Valley Tickets Winner!

2011-07-20T13:42:00.003-06:00

Congratulations McKinleys! E-mail me and I'll connect you with the Taste of The Valley people for your tickets!

heather@thecoterieblog.com

winner chosen via random.org

Right This Second...

2011-07-19T08:41:00.003-06:00

I feel bad that I haven't had any amazing, interesting, or thought-provoking posts lately. Every day I sit down at the computer to post something, and NOTHING comes to mind. NOTHING. So until then, we'll be painting, putting up art, sewing, shopping, cooking, cleaning, playing outside, swimming, eating otter pops, and lots, lots more to get ready for Tiny Baby.

P.S. Summers in Provo are magical.

Best Buddy Cousins!

How Wonderful Life Is

2011-07-18T12:55:00.002-06:00

This is one of the most clever commercials I've seen in a long, long time. Who knew it'd make me wanna go and buy a bucket of KFC, eat it, and then go make out with Matt? They got me. They'll get you.

KFC "So Good" Directed by Erik Van Wyk by Bouffant-tv

Taste of the Valley Tickets GIVEAWAY!

2011-07-15T08:45:00.007-06:00

If you know me, you know I love food. Who doesn't? That's why I fully support this local event and will personally be attending it and avidly participating! And the location...have you seen the new renovation of the Shops at the Riverwoods? AMAZING! It makes this even just that much more magical.

Restaurants across the Valley are gearing up for the annual Taste of the Valley event held by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, July 23rd from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Shops at the Riverwoods.

There will be all different kinds of “tastes” that guests can sample from, such as BBQ, Mexican, Italian, American, desserts, and much more. Guests pay $10 in advance (purchase tickets HERE) or at the door, and receive a punch card at the entrance with the names of all the restaurants. Every person can try everything once and then vote on what they liked most according to the different categories.

Not only will the event provide the public with delicious samples, but there will also be live entertainment as well as splash pads for cooling off. So please join us for an energy-packed day filled with fun, food, and live music!

Here's a breakdown of some of the details:

What: Taste of the Valley
When: Saturday, July 23rd from 11am-3pm
Where: The Shops at the Riverwoods 4801 N. University Ave. Provo, UT
Price: $10 per person, $38 for family of 4

Don't want to chance the giveaway? I don't blame you! Purchase tickets for you and your family here.

You can see more info about the event on Taste of the Valley's Facebook page.

Here's how to enter to win TWO tickets to the event:

-Just leave a comment here, any comment will do.
-Blog, tweet, and/or facebook about this giveaway and comment back here with a link for extra entries.
-The winner will be announced Wednesday, July 20th.

Things They Don't Tell You About Pregnancy

2011-07-15T08:13:00.005-06:00

I can't complain too much about my pregnancies so far. I mean, there are definitely unpleasant moments, but comparatively it could be worse. My back hurts, by feet are swollen, I have crazy cravings, I cry during commercials, and my face looks fat. The usual. But what about those things no one talks about or you know about until you are actually pregnant?

Leg cramps. I wake up screaming for Matt in the middle of the night to flex my foot because I have CRAZY cramps in my calfs. Started for me about mid-second trimester.

Sensitive skin. Most women's skin changes when they're pregnant. I've always burned because of my fair, freckly complexion, but now I REALLY burn. I fry, really. And my freckles, non-existant. I usually get lots of freckles in the sun, but not when I'm pregnant. Also, my skin is really sensitive to certain facial products, even simple, non-harsh moisturizers. Weird.

REALLY swollen feet. I know that's pretty common, but what they don't tell you is how swollen your feet and ankles actually get. You can actually push your finger into my swollen foot or leg and make an imprint that stays for a long, long time. So sick. Matt thinks it's funny.

Sensitive teeth. I could blame it on my obsessive ice chewing, but I didn't chew ice as much with Cole's pregnancy, and they were still sensitive. I really felt it after i have him, too. They say it's really good to get dental care (cleaning, etc) during your pregnancy.

Uncontrollable outbursts to the husband. Me: "Matt, I don't think I've been as mean to you during this pregnancy as I was with Cole..don't you think?!" Matt: "Uhhh, umm....let me think about it. Umm....m-a-y-b-e....I don't know, yeah, it's been about the same."

When you sneeze, be careful, and be prepared. Really though. You can figure this out, right?

The list goes on, not to mention the things they don't tell you about labor and after the birth, but that may be for another day, or not mentioned at all.

Can you add to the list?! I'm sure you can!

About 3 more weeks! Can't wait to see my tiny little guy!

Swimming

2011-07-12T08:28:00.001-06:00

Our favorite summer activity...besides BBQ's. They are tied.

Photo by Nicole Christensen

Getting Back To Work

2011-07-11T08:37:00.007-06:00

Now that all the company from the 4th of July are traveling back to their homes today, Cole and I will be getting back to reality and working on projects again. One of my top priorities is getting the nursery is ship shape for the tiny dude. Painting, crib purchase and assembly, artwork, sorting baby clothes, purchasing tiny diapers and more all needs to get done in the next few weeks.

Here's a little sneak peek at what the nursery idea board is:

Native American Prints

Pendleton Blanket

Mobile & Pillow

Tootsie Pop Shooting Star

Chevron Print

It's Been A Good Week.

2011-07-08T09:35:00.000-06:00

She Gives You A Necklace

2011-07-08T08:55:00.002-06:00

My girl Alison is giving away a handmade fringe necklace! Head over to She Blogs She Blogs to enter the giveaway!

More 4th of July Weekend

2011-07-06T13:52:00.002-06:00

Parade! This year it was bliss because we just had to walk around the corner from our house and there it was! Granted, Matt woke up at 4:30 to get good seating, but it was well worth it! Thanks Matty!

Amazing pedicure from my darling niece, Emma!

Hanging at our house, ate TOO much food!

Fireworks, compliments of Father Mildenstein!

In his element.

Something you may not know about Matt: his obsession with popsicles. LOVES. He has a secret stash at all times.

How we felt at the end of the day.

Cole has the BEST firework-face EVER!