Frugal for Four

March 9, 2015November 3, 2015Amber 15 Comments

Adding four people to your family at the same time can be quite taxing on finances. In our case, it meant income being reduced significantly with expenses steadily rising. We went on a mission to rethink our spending and find places to pinch pennies. It wasn’t terribly difficult since my own father is extremely thrifty. In an effort to save money, we’ve begun making many of our most used household commodities.

Before the quads were even born, we began using Dad’s recipe to make laundry detergent. We knew four babies would mean exponential growth in laundry and they would need a sensitive formula. We found it surprisingly simple to make and also effective in cleaning our clothes.

To make our detergent, we mix 2 c. Borax, 2 c. Super Washing Soda, 1 bar grated Fels Naptha laundry soap, and 1 bar grated Ivory bar soap. We use a cheese grater to grate the soap, and store in a lidded container. We found it’s easier to grate soap that’s been out of the wrapper and air drying a few weeks ahead of time. Use 2-3 teaspoons per load (tip: a medicine cup is the perfect scoop!) Instead of using fabric softener on the kids’ clothes, we add about 1/4 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle. It helps remove odors and softens clothes too.

If you prefer a liquid detergent, check out Our Multiples Journey for a similar recipe that results in liquid form. Also, if you’d like step by step directions, please visit The Littlest Lesnaus since Krista uses a similar recipe to us.

Before the babies arrived, we received many packages of diapers and wipes as gifts. It was a huge blessing to us, but we eventually began to deplete our supply, and we also noticed problems with diaper rash. Because of additives and chemicals, our pediatrician recommended we use toilet paper instead of wipes, but I wasn’t a fan of that idea. Consequently, we began making our own baby wipes, which we now prefer to store-bought and we are saving quite a bit of money.

Once the babies began eating solid foods, I made baby food from fresh, frozen, canned, and dairy products. It was surprisingly simple to make, and the babies really enjoyed it. Consuming a lot of produce meant A LOT of washing. That’s when I started using a two ingredient produce wash. It’s simple: one part white vinegar and one part water mixed in a spray bottle.

In addition to using my produce wash for fruit and veggies, I use it to clean toys and sometimes even the counter tops since vinegar contains antibacterial properties and is safe around toddlers. Check out Texas Tales for a few other ways to use vinegar in your home. I started using Amber’s tip of using vinegar/ water for mopping except I add a few drops essential oil for fragrance. Vinegar is also an excellent substitute for dishwasher rinse aid!

It may not be a commodity in everyone’s house, but popcorn is a staple here. It’s a guilt free snack with its high fiber content and ability to fill grumbling tummies. Seriously, it is among my favorite snacks, and most of our friends have been served popcorn at our house one time or another. For me, popcorn is nostalgic. I recall family movie nights with my own parents and we always enjoyed freshly popped popcorn. When I went off to college I developed an addiction to microwave popcorn. I hadn’t mastered the skill of stove top cooking like my Dad, but still wanted to enjoy warm, fresh popcorn. Several months ago, I considered the many additives that likely lurk in microwave popcorn and knew there must be a better option. I still haven’t mastered the art of stove top popcorn popping, but I remembered a trick my sister used when we were kids: lunch sack popcorn. It’s brilliant, and now enjoyed at our house almost daily!

Put 1/2 cup popcorn kernels in a paper lunch sack (large size works best) then roll the top. Microwave 2 minutes (time may vary based on your wattage, ect). Once popcorn is popped, melt about 2 tablespoons coconut oil then drizzle over popcorn and season lightly with sea salt or dry Ranch dressing mix.

With the quads, yogurt is a major commodity for our home. We go through an insane amount of it each day. As in, they ate a large tub just today. My friend, Becky, recently introduced me to Homemade Yogurt. It is simple to make and is definitely a money saver. The only problem is we devour yogurt so quickly I cannot make it fast enough to keep up the pace. Therefore, I only make yogurt when we are running low and won’t have a chance to replenish our stock. It’s nice to have the ability to make yogurt even if we don’t make it regularly, however.

What are your favorite money saving tips? Do you have any great do-it-yourself recipes?

hugs!

Amber

PS- If you’d like to see more from Four to Adore, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Toddler Activities for Bad Weather Days

March 5, 2015May 27, 2015Amber 7 Comments

Today marked day three of school and business closures thanks to fickle Texas weather. Another lovely blanket of snow (yes, real snow!) covered our lawns and streets. Prior to that, we had an ice storm and several dreary, rainy days that kept us inside. Ironically, after a few of these days I experience feelings of cabin fever (I’m sure those of you in cold climates are laughing, it’s ok). I can’t stand it!!! Since the arrival of the quads venturing out is a rarity, but when I feel as though weather traps us, I feel irritated. We play outside every single day even if we stay home and we crave the sunshine here. The kids pick up on my feelings, and their behavior deteriorates quickly. Everyone gets cranky and demanding, which exacerbates cabin fever for me. To keep my cabin fever at bay and behavior in line, I tried a few new activities to keep us occupied. All are worth a repeat!

1. Salt Trays– My Nearest & Dearest inspired this one (stop by her page for a few other ideas we are yet to try). I sprinkled a thin layer of salt into Brookstone sand trays (a cookie sheet with sides or a lunch tray would work). The quads used their fingers to create designs and also ran cars through the salt to create tracks. It was a rather “Zen” activity that relaxed all of us. I played yoga tracks from Pandora, which helped set the mood.

Pour a little salt onto trays and let kids trace designs or make tracks in it

2. Colander Game– Borrowing from Learning and Exploring Through Play, I used wooden skewers to create a maze through a colander then the quads took turns dropping pom poms through the maze. They worked on turn taking and recognizing attributes (e.g. color, size, texture) for this one. It involved maybe a minute to prep and clean up, and they were entertained about 15-20 minutes.

3. Tea Party- We hosted several tea parties when the quads had a cold this winter and it’s always a nice distraction. It’s also the opportune time to practice table manners and drinking from open cups.

4. Bring the Snow Inside– Typically I’m in favor of bundling the kids to play in cold weather, especially if they’ll have an opportunity to play in snow. However, I didn’t feel up to the challenge again. Instead, I brought the snow inside. Scooping, shaping, and coloring the snow kept all four occupied for a solid 45 minutes!

5. Window Clings– I periodically snatch gel window clings from the Dollar Tree or Target’s One Spot and now we have a decent collection for each season. I pulled the den blinds up and let the quads loose with sheets of them. I was surprised at how they independently sorted them by attributes and reassembled several of the designs including a snowman, Santa, and penguins. It involved zero prep on my part and took less than five minutes to clean up. They played happily for about 30-40 minutes!

What are some of your favorite indoor activities for bad weather days?

hugs,

Amber

PS- If you can’t get enough of Four to Adore, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Dad’s DIY {Up-cycled Bulletin Boards}

December 12, 2014May 27, 2015Amber 9 Comments

My wife loves doing art projects with the kids, and even more displaying them. At our old house, we created a simple children’s art display using open frames with clothes pins and ribbon. It worked relatively well in the old space. When we moved to the new house, the art display came along. Because the kids started creating a lot more art, Amber added a few more frames to the art gallery wall. After a while, the frames became overly crowded and cluttered looking. Also, they were crooked on the wall most of the time. Of course eight little hands also rearranged the frames frequently. It bothered me. I had an idea to streamline the gallery and give each child a designated place for their own work.

Here’s how the art gallery wall looked with open frames.

To create our new display, I began with the following materials:

4 x 8′ plywood sheet, cut into four equal size boards (the hardware store will cut the boards to size)
packet of wall hanging brackets
roll of batting
3 yards of fabric
2 packages of wood trim
painter’s caulk
liquid nails
1 large foam floor puzzle (we up cycled a few that we used when the quads were crawling, they were well loved and gnawed so not good to pass down)
staple gun with staples and brads

This is the step by step process:

Lay out all boards on a flat surface

Draw a line 8″ down from the top on each board (This is the BACK). You will use this line later to place hanging brackets.

Flip each board over and draw lines 2″ in from all sides so you have a rectangle drawn(This is the FRONT). This will show you where to place foam and trim.

Lay interlocked puzzle pieces on each board. Then, use scissors to cut them to fit into the rectangle drawn on each board. Finally, use liquid nails to adhere puzzle pieces to each board. Allow to cure overnight.

Cut batting to fit over puzzle pieces and secure with a staple gun. This step ensures that surface is smooth.

Cut fabric to fit over batting then secure with a staple gun.

Miter cut trim at 45 degree angles and secure to board with brad nails.

Once all trim pieces are attached, each board should look like this.

Using a nail set and hammer, push nail heads into the trim.

Flip each board over and attach hanging brackets to the backside. Use the previously drawn line as a guide for placement.

Use painter’s caulk on the front side to cover nail heads and fill gaps at the joints. Finally, use one coat of paint to hide imperfections in the trim. Enjoy displaying artwork!

It cost about $25 per board to make, and I’m really pleased with the result.

George

PS- If you can’t get enough of Four to Adore, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Lifespan of a Pumpkin {Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake & Spiced Pumpkin Soup}

November 26, 2014May 27, 2015Amber 10 Comments

This year, my mom charged me with making desserts for Thanksgiving. My Dad, sister, and I enjoy the tradition of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but it’s not my mom’s favorite. In order to make something my mom would like, and preserve tradition, I thought pumpkin pie cheese cake would fit the bill. I found a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake bars, but it wasn’t pie-like enough so I adapted it.

As I made my shopping list, George reminded me that instead of using canned pumpkin, I could roast sugar pumpkins for a more robust flavor. And, better yet, I could use the sugar pumpkins from the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch to make fresh pumpkin puree. I was slightly hesitant since these pumpkins had been on our porch a while. George gently reminded me that pumpkins sit outside at pumpkin patches all season and are still good to eat as long as the flesh is firm.

Roasting sugar pumpkins is a simple process, but I was thankful George took over and involved the quads. First, he washed the pumpkins well and peeled the monogramming from them so the paint wouldn’t leech inside. Next, he cut the pumpkins in half and scooped out insides. Finally, he laid them face down on a foil lined baking sheet. They roasted in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees.

The quads took turns helping to scoop out the insides.

The aroma of roasting pumpkin was delightful! Once the pumpkins were roasted, we removed the skin and pureed the pumpkin in our food processor.

I added about a cup of water to the food processor to smooth the pumpkin.

Once the pumpkin was done, I used it to make my Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.

To make your own Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, you’ll need the following:

Crust

1 1/2 c. graham crackers crumbs (I used a food processor, and it was about 3/4 sleeve of graham crackers)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. melted butter

Filling

4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 c. roasted sugar pumpkin puree (1 can of pure pumpkin would also work)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (you can also combine equal parts nutmeg and cinnamon)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a spring form pan, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter then press evenly across the pan.

Using a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, vanilla, eggs, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour filling into the spring form pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating. Keep in the refrigerator at least 3-4 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.

I was admittedly a tiny bit nervous about serving a dessert on Thanksgiving that I created and had never tasted before, but felt confident in the ingredients. It was a winner and enjoyed by everyone, including the quads! I think it will be on our Thanksgiving menu annually.

I had quite a bit of pumpkin puree leftover after baking my pie. I decided to use the remaining puree to make Spiced Pumpkin Soup from a recipe we clipped from a magazine years ago (we’ve had it so long, I don’t know the original source).

You’ll need:

4 tbs. butter
2 minced onions
2 tsp. minced, jarred garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed coriander
pinch of cayenne
6 cups pumpkin puree (you can also use three 15 oz. cans of pure pumpkin)
5 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. brown sugar

Melt butter in a stock pot then saute onions until clear. Add garlic until aromatic then stir in spices. Cook about another minute.

Add pumpkin and broth, stirring well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Slowly add brown sugar, then milk and cream. Serve with crusty bread.

I’ve been enjoying our spiced pumpkin soup for a few days and have enough to freeze for later. From the farm to the table, our pumpkins had a quite a lifespan, and I’m happy they didn’t end up in the garbage.

What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. Now that Thanksgiving was fully celebrated, the Christmas decor commenced at our house!

Pssst- If you can’t get enough of Four to Adore, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Dear Thanksgiving, You Aren’t Forgotten

November 26, 2014November 26, 2014Amber 2 Comments

The week following Halloween, George and I took the crew to Half Price Books in search of Thanksgiving books. Behind an elaborate Christmas book display, we found a meager shelf labeled, “holiday”. This shelf contained a conglomeration of holidays ranging from Valentine’s Day to Easter with a smattering of Thanksgiving books. Sadly, the majority of the Thanksgiving books were geared to older children. We snagged two age appropriate books worth purchasing so we’ve read these two at least once daily all month.

The Best Thanksgiving Ever is a charming story about a family of turkeys that gather to celebrate their many blessings. Naturally, their feast consists of corn.
Let it Fall describes the change in seasons and family activities during autumn. The illustrations are beautiful and capture the beauty of family time.

After our trip to the bookstore, my Facebook news feed began overflowing with pictures of children clad in Christmas attire as they visited Santa, evidence of wrapped packages, and fully decorated Christmas trees. Seriously, this began around November 3rd. Anytime I entered a retail establishment, holiday music lingered and Christmas products were in the fore front. It started feeling as if it were December already, and there was an urgency to prepare for Christmas. Then, our neighbors began adorning their homes in twinkling lights. It became such a trend that our home owner’s association left notes at homes where decorations were out 30 days prior to the holiday. Consequently, the HOA president has been dubbed “Scrooge of the Neighborhood” by some overzealous residents. Holiday light citations may not have been necessary, but I tend to agree with the notion it’s too early to commence Christmas activity the first week of November.

Instead of following the masses, I dug my heels in this year and refused to begin decorating for Christmas when the turkey hasn’t been carved. This year, the quads are learning about the seasons and holiday traditions, and I want to teach them about Thanksgiving as much as any other holiday.

To give a little attention to Thanksgiving, we spent time decorating die cut leaves and then writing what we are thankful for this season. (In case you were wondering, the quads dictated, and I transcribed.) Since the quads have been working on prayers expressing gratitude, this task was an easy one for them.

For a little festive fun, we also made turkeys from paper plates and toilet paper rolls.

Once we finished our Thanksgiving crafts, I nestled the turkeys into our mantle decor and taped the die cut leaves among the autumn garland. The leaves are nice reminders of the little things we appreciate in our lives.

Despite my reluctance to start celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving, I did purchase the quads Christmas pajamas. In my defense, I was burned the first two Christmases with the quads. I waited until after Thanksgiving and found barren shelves! Harper was forced to wear pajamas about a size too small two years in a row. I wasn’t making him do it again. They’ll get to wear their new pajamas the night our Christmas tree goes up.

When do you begin decorating for Christmas? Perhaps you’re an eager beaver. Maybe you wait until Christmas Eve. Maybe you’re like me and want the turkey gobbling to cease first. Or maybe you celebrate a different holiday altogether.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amber

Read This, Made That {Cheesecloth Ghost}

October 31, 2014Amber Leave a comment

In Say Boo!, Ben the ghost is practicing his scariest “boo” for Halloween night, but it comes out mixed up most of the time. In case you were wondering, ghosts don’t say “moo” or “coo”, they say, “Boo!” Even though we already made wispy ghosts, another ghost craft was in order for this story.

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at cheese cloth ghosts, but never attempted them. I found simple directions at One Good Thing by Jillie to try. I created a form using ball pit balls taped to paper towel rolls, which I secured onto paper plates. Then, I covered the form with two layers of cheesecloth. The quads helped by spraying the cheesecloth with liquid starch until they were soaked. I set our soppy figures in the sun to try for 24 hours. The next day, I dotted glue on the tops of the forms and let the quads stick googly eyes and oval mouths on them. I think they are adorable! In fact, I’ll try to pack them up to use for next year’s decor.

Happy Halloween!

Amber

Read This, Made That {Paper Plate Jack-O-Lanterns}

October 25, 2014October 26, 2014Amber 3 Comments

After years of hating Halloween, the kids are helping me change my perspective. We live in one of the best neighborhoods for Halloween, and it’s high time I enjoy it. In fact, last spring as we searched for a new home, we felt a sense of relief knowing we would stay in our beloved neighborhood. It’s the type of community where families play outside together, take walks, ride bikes, and know the neighbors. On Halloween night, hundreds of children will line the sidewalks escorted by parents clad in costumes. Families living on cul-de-sacs will invite others to join them for snacks and activities. This neighborhood makes Halloween night exactly what it should be- filled with community fellowship, and I want the quads to experience every bit of it.

When October rolled around, a family friend gave each of the quads a Halloween themed book. Little did she know, these books would help stir the spirit of Halloween. As I read these toddler books, it brought to mind the nostalgic parts of Halloween, and the reasons kids adore it. As I read, I began explaining the process of trick-or-treating and other spooky traditions, increasing our anticipation of the holiday. In addition to the books gifted to us, I scored a treasure trove of Scholastic books at our community garage sale, which resulted in a decent collection of Halloween themed toddler books. Since I’m a sucker for thematic crafts and activities, we spent the month of October creating a gallery of Halloween themed art loosely tied to toddler literature. Check out my post about literacy based crafts to see how I approach these. We read several if not all of these books at least once daily.

We kicked off our Halloween literacy based crafts with Five Little Pumpkins paired with a paper plate jack-o-lantern craft. The book is actually a poem, and the quads now recite it as I read, which melts my heart every single time.

To create the craft, each child painted a plate with orange tempera paint (mixed with a few drops of dish soap). When the paint was dry, I dotted glue on the plate where the face should go, and let them add facial features (pre-cut them from black construction paper). I finished it off by tracing their hands on green construction paper to create leaves and a stem.

Stay tuned to find out what other crafts make up our Halloween art gallery. I’ll be posting a new one daily until Halloween.

Hugs!

Amber

Personalized Pumpkins

October 23, 2014Amber 3 Comments

After visiting the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch, we amassed a variety of pumpkins, which needed decorating, and of course personal touches. Pumpkin carving is a festive tradition, but in the Texas heat they grow mold almost immediately, and you can’t appreciate them long-term. Instead of carving, I prefer a little paint and a few stickers.

With the first found of pumpkins, we let each child choose a tempera paint color to slather on a pumpkin. It was an utter mess, but they had a blast expressing their creative sides. Plus, it was a full on sensory experience; they covered their arms, hands, and cheeks before they finished. After our little art extravaganza, I used copious amounts of Shout and washed clothes multiple times to rid them of bright paint splatter. Thankfully, there’s no remaining evidence of art on their clothes.

For the second set of pumpkins, I created a monogram for each child using the same process I used to make cookies for Santa plates.

First, I printed individual letters in 300 pt French Script font from Microsoft Word.

Then, I flipped the paper over and rubbed pencil over the area where the letters were.

I pressed the letters, print side up onto a smooth part of the pumpkin and traced over it with heavy pressure using a pen.

This left a faint outline, which I filled in with a paint pen. It’s very faint in the picture, but there is a light outline of the “R” on the face of this pumpkin.

When I was finished, we had four handsome monogrammed pumpkins. I let the kids loose with Halloween stickers so they could leave their own flare.

The best part about pumpkin decorating is displaying them on the porch for others to admire. The quads beamed with pride when I let them carry their own pumpkins to the porch. I helped with arrangement of course.

We placed the tempera paint pumpkins under the covered part of the porch since rain tends to wash them clean. Each time we go out the front door, the kids point out their personalized pumpkins with their “letter”.

On Halloween Eve, we’ll carve the largest pumpkins together and cross our fingers they last 24 hours. What is your favorite way to decorate pumpkins?

Hugs!

Amber

Gather ‘Round the Family Table

September 14, 2014September 14, 2014Amber 13 Comments

When we were newlyweds, I was still in grad school while George was a novice in his field earning a small pay check. That meant our apartment was furnished solely with hand me down pieces and thrift store finds. There was no way we were going to let our nest LOOK like it was a thrift store, however. Instead, we learned how to bring new life to dated or worn pieces.

Our first piece of furniture to renovate was a dining room table and chairs. I can’t remember, but it may have cost $75 for all five pieces. The table was a classic, sturdy pedestal design with two leaves, but we didn’t care for the oak finish. The chairs had lovely lines, but the upholstery was tattered and the wood frames were rickety. After spying a Pottery Barn table far outside our budget, we used some paint, fresh fabric, and elbow grease to inspire our own design with our thrift store find. This project was the first of many similar re-designs we’d tackle.

After the purchase of our first house, our little Pottery Barn inspired table found a new spot in our dining room. It was later relocated to our breakfast nook in that house.

Pottery Barn inspired black table, thrift store redo

The buffet behind the table was also a furniture redo we eventually painted solid black. It is currently functioning as a changing table/ dresser for the boys nursery.

Countless meals were enjoyed around this table. However, when the quads were old enough for spoon feeds we needed something to accommodate them. Our solution was to build our own quad feeding table and store our original table in the attic. With four infants being spoon fed, the quad table proved ideal. I could easily reach each little birdie for meals, and clean up was a breeze.

This was the first time the quads ever sat in their table. At the time, they weren’t sitting independently so I used baby towels to pad them in.

Little dangling feet were always my favorite view of the quad table.

When we moved to our new house the quads were 22 months old and still getting good use out of the quad table. By that time, they were self feeding using utensils and spoon feeds were a thing of the past. Yet, we still used the table for instructional activities, story time, and art projects.

I could easily facilitate story time from the quad table. However, the quads do reasonably well sitting in child sized chairs or in a semi-circle on the floor too.

It was relatively simple to clean up after the messiest of art projects at the quad table.

When the quad table was originally built, we hoped to get two to three years use from it. However, as the quads grew it became clear that the quad table’s days were numbered. Harper grew dangerously close to the 30 pound weight limit for the quad table seats, and he seemed uncomfortable being crammed into it. Furthermore, the quad table became a point of stress during meals. All four of the quads could reach anything on the table, which meant they snatched food from each other (and our plates), poked each other with forks, and created numerous shenanigans. Clearly, the quad table served it’s purpose and it was time to move onto something new.

DIY quadruplet feeding table/ toddler table

This photo was snapped the last night we used our beloved quad table. I’m amazed at how much they’ve grown.

Little dangling feet will always be my favorite view of the quad table.

In a pinch, we can pad the quads into adult sized chairs, but it’s not good for everyday use. It’s difficult for the quads to see and reach their food, let alone use utensils. Consequently, we piloted booster seats attached to our dining chairs. After trying several designs, we realized booster seats were even more problematic than the quad table. Booster seats nearly destroyed our dining chair’s upholstery and the quads could easily push their feet against the table and tip backwards. We considered serving their meals at a child sized table, but that would mean we couldn’t enjoy family dinners.

Even when it was only two of us, George and I ate the majority of our dinners at the table together. During family meals, we take time to converse with each other about the day’s events and future plans. We take time to enjoy the meal before us and reconnect as a family. Because family dinners are of the utmost importance to us, we needed another plan. After dining out, it occurred to us that restaurant high chairs would be perfect. They are easy to clean, sturdy, stackable, and include seat belts for safety. Once I found decent priced chairs, I ordered four from Amazon Prime.

Since the quads still bash the table with their utensils, there was NO way we were spending money to buy a new kitchen table. It was time for our very first dining table to return from storage. However, the black paint was nearly a decade old and looked haggard.

We are gradually changing our color palate in the new house from dark colors to lighter hues and accepting them in cheery colors such as butter cream, aqua, and orange. Our dark table was given a clean coat of aqua paint then distressed using a stain technique that could withstand quads. In fact, we used the same color and technique we used on our coffee table. We then painted the chairs white and distressed them with the same technique to give them an antique appearance. The dingy crimson wall was covered by a soft gray, which effectively brightened the room.

Our accessories didn’t look quite right with the new wall color, but cans of chrome and sunshine spray paint helped coordinate the look. And, a bold floral fabric on the chairs pulled the entire room together. Ta da!

Thrift store table and chairs given a distressed finish using stain

We used glitzy letter decals to decorate each high chair. Since the seat belts are adjusted differently for each child, it helps us remember whose chair is whose. Plus, we move the chairs around and the quads enjoy searching for their new place at the table.

Aside from the fact that I adore the fresh new look of our breakfast nook, it is working beautifully. Since it’s a traditional family style table, we face each other for conversation. (I should record some of our dinner conversation with the quads…they are generally humorous). Also, the center of the table is outside the reach of little hands. This allows us to serve food from the table instead of getting up to refill little plates thousands of times. Seriously, with the quad table I’d get up every few seconds to bring more food to the quads and I rarely sat down to enjoy my meal. Another bonus of the new set up is we can move the high chairs to create space between kiddos or away from the table itself (this is handy if someone is starting to make a mess with their plate).

When we have company join us for dinner, we have room for a few extra chairs so we can all dine together. Nisey and Grandpa enjoyed dinner with us on Grandparent’s Day last Sunday, and there was ample room for the eight of us.

I was slightly sad to see our quad table go, but it has been re-homed to a family with infant quads. Knowing it will help feed another set of quads makes my heart happy. In fact, this family plans to pass it down to the next generation so who knows how many quad families may enjoy our table.

Where do you dine?

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. Please visit my disclaimer page if you’d like more information about links.

Ahoy, mateys. Greetings, ladies. {Pirates & Princesses Party}

August 4, 2014August 8, 2016Amber 10 Comments

As the quad’s second birthday approached I began to panic as I fell short on party ideas. Instead of choosing a theme and then searching for a coordinating invitation, I reversed the order. I perused invitations first, and found a simply adorable princesses and pirates birthday invitation for boy girl twins. I contacted the designer and she customized the invitation for us by adding an extra pirate and princess making it the perfect invitation for quadruplets. Once I had a theme and invitation chosen, I discovered a treasure trove of ideas on Pinterest fit for a princesses and pirates bash.

When we choose a party theme, George and I go all out. consequently, we both dressed the part. I made good use of an old bridesmaid dress my mom had in storage and accessorized it with my bridal tiara. George wore a few tatty items from his closet with a dew rag to create a pirate look. As part of their birthday gift, I ordered princess dresses (on clearance) from the Disney store for the girls and Carter’s pirate t-shirts for the boys.

After our guests were welcomed, each tot was given an empty bag personalized with their name, which would later be used to collect game prizes. Little pirates were to take a hat, sword, and eye patch while princesses were asked to select a dress and tiara. The pirate gear was all found in Target’s party section and doubled as party favors for the boys. The dresses were on loan, but the tiaras were also party favors. I used a shower curtain rod to display the selection of princess dresses available.

Give party guests an empty bag to fill with game prizes at a party

I used free clip art from Disney Junior to create labels for the loot bags. Unbeknownst to me, it’s a “Princesses and Pirates” summer on Disney Junior. This made finding party goods a cinch.I used more free clip art found online to create signage for directing pirates and princesses about what to get.

A few weeks before the party, it occurred to me that the quads weren’t familiar with pirates. To prepare them for the party, we watched The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. We also read Unexpected Treasures from our own bookshelf. Since I love literacy based crafts, we created a few pieces that served as party decor. Pirates don’t generally have the best reputation for being kind and such so I carefully selected books and videos where pirates were portrayed as having desirable virtues.

The quads had fun making their party decorations and still enjoy looking at their masterpieces.

My friend, Jen, kindly served as our party photographer. I have enough trouble being a hostess without also managing the camera. Besides, she’s a far more talented photographer than I! To make sure she’d be IN a picture and not just behind the lens, I snapped this one of her.

My sister and cousin, Brandi were both on board with our princess theme and donned old formal dresses to the party. Noteworthy…CiCi is wearing my junior prom dress, and I think she looked just like Belle.

Matt did his best to dress for the pirate theme with his red and white stripes with eye patch.

Each of our little pirate guests came sporting pirate themed threads, but our quad buddy, Harrison matched Harper. It was adorable!

Since the quads are two and all of their guests were two, I planned a few simple party games to keep everyone occupied. First, everyone tried their hand at fishing. My cousin, Ryan, sat behind a black curtain hung by a tension rod while the little ones tossed a fishing pole over the curtain. He then clipped goldfish crackers or shark fruit snacks to their line for the “big catch”.

I also set up a treasure dig in the yard. I filled a bucket with sand and littered it with gold doubloons (Dollar Tree plastic coins), gems, and rings. Each guest had a chance to riffle around to find a few treasures of their own.

My friend, Ashley, is talented in the baking department so I sequestered her help for creating cupcakes and cake pops. Both were a huge hit! By the end of the party one cake pop remained and I enjoyed savoring it with a glass of vino.

Ashley made cupcakes for each princess and captain, and the liners coordinated with their “assigned colors”.

Ashley hand-made each of the sweet treats served at the party. Her attention to detail is impeccable.

The boys easily made wishes and blew their candles out, but the girls were a bit more hesitant. Rylin used a straw to finally blow hers out, but Sydney got help from Mason.

This year the cake smashing was much more tidy. I love how each of the quads approached their cupcake their own way.

Harper willingly wore his eye patch for just long enough to capture a photo.

With four tykes, gift opening was a bit like a Christmas extravaganza. I was proud of how well the littlest guests as well as our four managed the scene. No one protested, tried to get into things they shouldn’t, or caused any trouble whatsoever.

The quads worked well together to open packages.

The quads are all able to tear through paper, but still need a bit of encouragement to realize there’s something beneath the pretty paper. With a little help from ~~Captain Flynn~~ Jen, Mason decorated his arm in Jake temporary tattoos as did his troupe of friends and siblings.

Set up a temporary tattoo station for a pirate themed party.

Little princesses chose from an assortment of princess tattoos. Sydney’s choice was none other than Cinderella.

What a scene!

The boys immediately made use of the pirate ship riding toy they received. This toy has been among our most popular toys since the party, and is often sought after.

Hugs!

Amber

I missed out on taking pictures of our food spread, but we served toddler favorites (PB & J, goldfish crackers, fruit, chicken nuggets, ect) and paired them with cute labels with fancy names for the Plain Jane fare. Here are all the printables I created using the free clip art from Disney Junior. Feel free to edit and use for your own Princesses & Pirates Party.

For more from Four to Adore, connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. We often share pictures, life hacks, activities, recipes, and more via social media.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.