Friday Things #422
1. I love being in the kitchen with these kiddos! I’ve mentioned that Joseph has been reading old Sesame Street books and he’s been asking to make Cookie Monster’s cookie recipe. It’s a basic sugar cookie recipe (and it was delicious!); Joseph read out the recipe directions and Dominic, Isabelle, and I executed the mixing :) I’m still shocked sometimes that Joseph can legitimately read nearly anything now!
2. I was astounded because the entire recipe is mixed together in a bowl using just a fork! I’ve done cookie dough with a wooden spoon, but never a fork. It totally worked! And I was also stunned because the recipe called for putting the dough in the icebox to chill for 1 hour.
3. Joseph finished kindergarten yesterday! I wasn’t very emotional when he began kindergarten in the fall (I was really very excited for him), but I had ALL the feels yesterday, hooboy. I’m so proud of both my boys; they embraced online school, were so engaged, and learned so much. Plus, we got some bonus time having all three kids home all day; we made some great memories, and for that, I will always be grateful ❤️️
4. On a lighter note, what’s your current favorite cereal?
5. Do you have a favorite place to buy kids’ clothes? I buy stuff from Gap and a little bit from Hanna Andersson (though mostly pajamas); I used to buy the majority of their things from Carter’s but now that they don’t grow out of stuff as quickly, I find it doesn’t wear so well and runs quite a bit small and slim, especially for Joseph and Isabelle. Looking to try some new places!
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6. The unofficial kick-off to summer weekend is perfect for my no-bake banana split dessert.
7. You are doing a good job. Amen.
8. Such a simple reminder >> The Perfect Way of Saying “No”
9. Who watched the Friends reunion last night? Was it good? I haven’t seen it yet!
10. TGIF! These two wish you a safe long weekend!
I used to love Kohl’s Jumping Beans as well but they are sadly too old now and I’ve had to move on. My go-to for the past several years has been Old Navy. I have boys 14 & 10. They have been wearing things from there for years. It’s the best deal! The clothes are priced well, especially since they grow out of them in 5 seconds and you can’t beat the deals on Black Friday. What I don’t like is their Super Cash. It rarely works out for me because there are too many restrictions. Kohl’s is also great for them and on Black Friday is when I do most of my shopping because of the deals and the Kohl’s cash. Good luck!
I try to get clothing from small businesses, local or just US. My Favorite is AdventureClothesCo on Etsy.
The outfits are soooo cute 🥰 and everything is very well made. I’d never guess it’s handmade.
Cereal…Honey bunches of oats for the win!😋
I having been enjoying your blog and especially Friday things! I am a 70 year old grandma and believe it or not learn something new from you especially new things to bake and cook. I would love to know where to get some of the old Sesame books you talked about? My Best, Ann
Hi Ann, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the site! The Sesame Street books we have were my husband’s when he was little; my in-laws kept them and gave them to us when Joseph was a baby. I just checked and it looks like you can buy the entire set on Amazon but it’s pricey: https://www.amazon.com/SESAME-LIBRARY-HENSONS-MUPPETS-COMPLETE/dp/B000RJQ2QU
I used to buy my son’s clothes from Land’s End. They washed well and didn’t fade.
When my kids were younger, I found Old Navy had good clothes for them, & wasn’t too expensive. The other store I liked was The Children’s Store. Have a great weekend!
If I wasn’t low carb I would be into Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles with a banana in it.
I tend not to eat much cereal because it doesn’t have the staying power of a protein-heavy breakfast, but I love Morning Summit (I buy it at Costco). Lots of grains and nuts; keeps me full for a long time! Glad the cookies turned out … I’m always so surprised when a random recipe out of a non-cookbook works! Your family is the cutest.
I LOVE Morning Summit!! I eat it as a snack, but then I can’t stop, ha!
I buy Kohls Jumping Beans and SO brand clothes for the greats & they seem to last & be well made. I pulled up your Banana Split dessert recipe recently & thought that I need to plan a family get-together so I can make it. I don’t dare make it just for myself because I’ll eat the whole thing. I love it so much!
Hi! I was an absolute wreck on my twin daughters’ last day of kindergarten. Parents were allowed to go to school with their children because it was such a short school day but I stayed in the hallway outside of their classrooms because I was crying so much. And I don’t mean misting crying I mean crying crying! (yes, I am welling up as I type this) All these years later now and they just finished their first year of college. (It goes by sooo quickly!)
I’ve cried a ridiculous amount over the last two days! I was honestly not expecting to have so many emotions! Glad to know it’s not just me ;-)
🙂💐
How fun it must be to bake with your kids and have Joseph read the recipe. I loved to bake with the students in my kindergarten classroom and would often use a special book or theme as the guide. Amy Krause Rosenthal wrote a series of four books, each with a cookie recipe at the end . The books…”Sugar Cookies, Sweet Little Lesson on Love”, “Cookies, Bite Size Life Lessons”, “One Smart Cookie””Christmas Cookies”…are wonder books that introduce children to life concepts and a sweet and relatable way. The books are hard to describe in a few sentences but are truly wonderful. Amy Krause Rosenthal was a special author and her untimely passing in 2017 was a loss to the world of children’s literature..
Congrats to Joseph on his success. He must be so excited, looking forward to heading back into the classroom as a first grader in the fall.
I’ll have to check out those books, they sound wonderful! Thank you for sharing! He is so excited, he just adores school and can’t wait to go in person :)
You might want to check out Thriftbooks.com. Books prices for good condition used books are very reasonable and shipping is free for any purchase over $10. The books I mentioned in my comment are available for less than $5 each. The site has just about every genre of both children’s and adult books. It is very easy to get carried away!
I am not familiar with Amy Krause Rosenthal’s children books, but I treasure the creativity and life lessons in “Textbook” and “Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.” Her passing was a loss to all who loved her literature.
I love Amy Krause Rosenthal books! She has quite the legacy. When my daughter was a baby we read plant a kiss everyday so I have a collection of her books for our home library. I highly recommend “Linus the little yellow pencil bu Scott Mason. He collaborated with Amy on the books Spoon, chopsticks, and Straw. Michelle you would love those. But Linus is a beautiful tribute to his Friend Amy. It is a must read. I read the book and at the end when I read his dedication to Amy it made me cry. Perfect book for young school age kids!!
**Scott Magoon
Wow to Joseph reading..and wanting to cook with you. Heart melt. Love Sesame Street- Cookie Monster❤
Cereal-I got some frosted mini wheats from Costco on coupon. Sometimes cereal just hits the spot. But now I have 1 big bag left.
Nice pic of doggies. They’re both such beauties.
The Children’s Place for clothes. I always liked Carters too, but when I realized they ran slim (like you’re running into), the CP had great quality, style & prices (especially when you watch the sales). Good luck – it’s always trial & error with that!
I have had great luck buying kids clothes from Macy’s – excellent prices during sales and free returns.
I have the same issue with Carter’s clothes for my toddler. I’ve been buying a lot of clothes from old navy, H&M, and Target (Cat & Jack brand).
Hi Michelle! Just wanted to take a minute to tell
you how much I love your blog. It’s been such a pleasure to watch your precious family grow through the years. You are such a great mom.
Your family reminds me so much of my daughter and my three grandkids. They are close to the ages of your three.
Unfortunately they live in a different state so I only get to see them twice a year if I’m lucky! I guess that’s one of the reasons I enjoy your family so much. Thanks for sharing!
I also love all your great recipes!
Hi Robin, Thank you so much for the incredibly sweet comment, you made my day! I hope you get to see your family soon :)
I love those old Sesame Street books! I have those, some old Berenstain Bears and Little Critters that my son loved. They still hold up with story lines, but the details are aging…like pay phones, no remote controls, etc. Had to explain a lot while reading them with him.
I buy pjs exclusively at Primary.com. My son has a very long torso, so buying sets anywhere else would result in pants being too big or shirts being too short. I like that you can buy individual pieces in whatever sizes you need. I buy their shirts and shorts also. Jeans were good also…everything wore well and had reinforced knees. He’s now more into athletic wear, so I shop at Kohls, Adidas, Nike, and Under Armor outlets. Also, Once Upon a Child has been a great resource for athletic wear for us.
We had a stellar virtual school year also, but I’m looking forward to him going back into the bldg in the fall.
Ooh yes, we have tons of our old Berenstain Bears books, too… the kids all love those. So glad virtual went well for you, as well. I was pleasantly surprised, but all three are excited for the fall and already want to shop for backpacks on the first day of summer break 🤣
A lot of our kiddos clothes come from Cat & Jack from Target and Old Navy (same quality as Gap, I find, but cheaper. Love that the Cat & Jack leggings are usually reinforced at the knees.
Hi Michelle! I love how Joseph is reading, and I can relate to because my granddaughter is his age and his reading just like him. I too have the whole set of Sesame Street books that I bought when my 38-year-old daughter was little and now her daughter is reading them. Which volume is the one with Cookie Monster’s recipe? I’d love to make those cookies with her.
Hi Denise, How fun! These are my husband’s old books that my in-laws kept and Joseph is loving them! The Cookie Monster sugar cookie recipe is in Volume 1… the kids wanted to cut them round, but in subsequent volumes he gives ideas for making them in the shape of letters, to look like faces, etc. Have fun baking with your granddaughter! :)
I have always loved Waffle Crisp the most. Usually I just eat oatmeal but lately I’ve been finding it’s fun to hide some Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, and Captain Crunch in the hardest to reach cupboards for weekends and days off 😂
Wow to Joseph reading..and wanting to cook with you. Heart melt. Love Sesame Street- Cookie Monster❤
Cereal-I got some frosted mini wheats from Costco on coupon. Sometimes cereal just hits the spot. But now I have 1 big bag left.
Nice pic of doggies. They’re both such beauties.
Cute post about hiding cereal. Yay to living a little..and admitting you do so. Loved this🥰