The tumtum tree A blog by an artsy craftsy, penny pinching, party planning, fashion finding, playdating, stay at home mommy who loves all things cute! Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 7 0 31 139

Articles from The tumtum tree

Where the line blurs....... 2008-04-20 11:12:00 It looks as though something awful has happened in lily's dollhouse. Talk about make-believe imitating life. The tiny plastic people leave their toys on the floor, throw their blankets off the bed and knock over furniture, too lazy to do anything about the growing chaos. At first sight it looks as though the place has been burglarized in the middle of the night- door kicked in, parents lying unconscience on the floor, tables and chairs overturned. I pointed this out to Brian who got a small kick out of the idea. Today, I turned the house around so that all the clutter lay well hidden. If only real-life were as effortless. ...

Some ideas to make your life easier 2008-04-19 08:49:00 This looks great for mommies on the go. You could feed your child without a messy open container. Either in the backseat on a long car ride, a picnic or just for everyday feeding. Whatever. Thought I'd give it a shout out. You can buy it here.This looked so useful too! I know my daughter has (perhaps literally) a million stuffed animals. I don't have any room for them and I can't bring myself to give them away so they are constantly encroching on the order of things. This product will take care of two birds with one stone. Soft seating/stuffed animal storage. Comes in different sizes and colors. Buy them here. ...

Spring Picnic 2008-04-18 13:36:00 Today was the warmest day of the year (so far). We didn't have any grand plans so we spent the afternoon eating a picnic lunch in the backyard. Molly enjoyed the outdoors, spellbound by all the sights and sounds she doesn't experience indoors.We had fried chicken and french fries. Lily of course ate one bite and didn't want anymore, requested an apple, ate five bites then said she was full. Ugh. We finished the lunch by adorning our hair with flowers and throwing the apple to the birds. ...

Martha Finds: Simple fixes for simple foibles 2008-04-18 08:11:00 Got chocolate milk stains? Try this.Okay, I didn't mean to get your hopes up if you thought I had some remedy for chocolate milk stains (insidious aren't they). But this is a neat way to cover them up.Embellish a solid-colored shirt with bright butterflies in flight -- and conceal stains at the same time. Have your child choose the fabric; iron it to one side of fusible webbing. Trace the butterfly template onto the fusible-webbing side, and cut out. Remove paper backing, and iron the shape on top of the stain. Use several sizes and vary fabrics for a decorative effect or to cover multiple stains.Got crayon crumbles? Try this!This is such a fantastic idea! Not only do you use the last bits of crayon that were annoying you at the bottom of the crayon box BUT it can also be a fun activity for your kids. Encourage kids to come up with combinations: A blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, for example, and a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets."Tools and MaterialsKitchen knifeOld cray ...

Picture this skirt....on me! 2008-04-17 10:25:00 I thought these photo skirts were interesting. I haven't ever seen anything like them. Perhaps they are too expensive to manufacture? Their price tag would indicate as much, but pretty none-the-less. It's like desktop wallpaper for your legs. ...

"T"ea is for Today! 2008-04-16 16:25:00 In keeping with today's tea theme I included these unique finds for every tea connoisseur.Buy these adorable rings here!And if you saw Marie Antoinette and wondered if they still make those blossoming flowers in a cup of tea, I'll have you know....they do! Buy them here! ...

Tea for Two 2008-04-16 13:15:00 Lily and her grandmother have certain rituals that my mother has initiated and I think it's adorable. Now retired, she comes over every week day to spend time with the girls. Around three o'clock she and lily gather around a tray and have their afternoon tea. Lily has fully embraced the idea. She sips the hot tea and gets excited when drinking in unison. Abi, knowing of this daily routine, gave my mother two antique teacups from her grandmother's collection. Since I'm not very poetic, I took some pictures of their new/old serveware, proving just how cute a spectacle they can be. Lily also finished off the crown jewel of her Easter basket- A chocolate egg with a tiny marshmellow peep inside. Pretty clever. ...

Tired of your boring brown car seat 2008-04-15 09:04:00 For some reason or another I've gotten stuck with boring ho-hum car seats. Beige, navy, teddy bear print. If it's boring it gravitates to my car. I've always wanted to buy a new more interesting one but can't justify the cost of the designer brands on the market. If you're in the same boat as me you HAVE to check out these covers made with fabric from some of your favorite designers at purlsoho. Available in infant and toddler sizes. Also if you don't mind spending the extra pocket change, they offer Nollie car seat covers (see blue and brown seat)- extra customized/extra expensive. ...

I don't have a boy but if I did.... 2008-04-14 20:32:00 Although I don't have a boy I thought these were the cutest casual thing.But since I have a girl I had to include these adorable aprons as well. All items can be bought here! ...

April Showers bring May flowers. 2008-04-14 18:31:00 Last week we had a couple really gorgeous days. Lily and I spend the afternoon planting tomato and mint seeds. Mint seeds for summer mojitos. Tomatoes for....well, do you ever need a reason to plant plump juicy tomatoes? I haven't successfully grown any since I was eleven but I think this year will be different.Lily enjoyed sprinkling the seeds, no so much the digging. She enjoyed using the sprinkler to water the seeds but got a little carried away and watered the front porch, sidewalk and shirt she was wearing. It's one of those hobbies that teach patience. The package said that it will take 74 days to mature. I figure that means we'll have tomatoes by July. Seems a little long. The mint leaves will mature in 21 days. At least I'll be saving $3 on the quarter ounce of mint leaves our local grocer sells. That is unless I kill them off before they get to grow. ...

If I could wear busted tees, I'd wear these. 2008-04-13 12:32:00 If I were a teenager again, I think I'd wear a different busted tee for every day of the week. Since I'm not I can only fantasize and perhaps influence other teens with my 30 years of perspective.Here are my top 10.Okay, I wouldn't go for the fellatio reference but OMG this brings back memories- Legend of Zelda, hot summers crammed into my sister's sweaty bedroom huddled over a 13" tv and broken nintendo box. Why did everyone try to blow into the cartridge? It rarely worked.I would have. I really would have.This is so Brian and I. Our approach to interacting with children- be as matter-of-fact and literal as you can.After seeing "Smart People" last night I thought this would be appropriate.Altering reality engenders hilarity.I'm seriously considering getting this one for Brian. Partially because he likes baseball partially because he hates wizards.This made me laugh. I don't think the next generation will have the experience with tetris as we have. There are vivid memories of fam ...

Abi Rocks!!!! 2008-04-13 09:20:00 I've been so lucky with so many awesome free finds that have fallen in my lap (see previous freecycle post) Another fabulous find- these shoes!! My friend, Abi has been emptying her grandmother's home for its upcoming sale. In the process, I've gotten so many really cool (and some not so cool, i.e. antique tampons) antiques from her grandmother's home. Her latest trip yielded these cool vintage shoes in their original vintage boxes in surprisingly good condition. My feet being two sizes smaller than her's, Abi was not able to reap the benefit of these and gave them to me instead. And I have to say, her grandmother, aside from being a packrat had some good taste.Abi & I at a wedding (Not my best pic. A little toothy for my taste.) But Abi looks great as always. ...

A few products to brighten your weekend. 2008-04-12 08:55:00 These are just the cutest vintagey suitcases for kids. Look chic while visiting Grandma. Although you don't need to be a parent to think they're just gorgeous. Better yet, they range from $6 -$10! You can buy them here.Introducing the Defendius Door Chain. Perhaps by the time you did get to opening the door, those kids trying to sell their fund raising magazines or Sunday missionaries might get impatient and move on. Security indeed! Buy it here. (although I think it's temporarily sold out.)I thought this simple product was cute. I guess it takes me 15 seconds to cut a banana while this would take me 5. That's 10 seconds saved each day....times 365 days....equals one hour! Assuming of course, I eat bananas everyday (i hate bananas) but I think lily would get a kick out of using it. Would have been useful at Young Chefs. Buy it here. ...

Freecycle Rocks!!!!!!! 2008-04-11 10:07:00 Did I ever mention how much I love, love, love freecycle? I know freecycle isn't news to anyone but I just have to shout to the rooftops about my latest conquest (see left). Yes, I got this for FREE! I had driven all over the place, Wal-mart, Target, Toys'r'us. I even went down to the local consignment shop. Everything was either more than I intended to spend, too small or too cheap looking. On a lark, I sent out a freecycle post and within a couple minutes a nice woman had emailed me about a bike that was sitting in her attic, never used. (one caveat, I've been disappointed before by freecycle, I didn't get my hopes up) But when I pulled up to the door, I was breathtaken. Reproduction vintage Radio Flyer tricycle, pristine condition. Oh, it was better than I had thought possible, complete with vintage bell and peppermint striped streamers. As I hauled it off in front of the former owners I was nearly scared they'd realize their mistake and take back their offer. Once I hastily c ...

Chef Lily 2008-04-10 16:04:00 The Young Chef's Academy class went great, despite the fact that lily seemed drawn to the baby toys more than the actual cooking. In spirit of our theme (the letter U) we baked "U"psidedown sticky buns and "U"limate fruit dip. But she actually ate what we made so anything that ends with her eating gets an A in my book.Here's a little info about Young Chef's. They have locations nationwide and are a great place for kids to learn the basics of cooking while interacting with other 'young chef's';) They offer weekly classes for kids ages 3 to 13+.From their website: Young Chefs® Academy is a unique culinary experience which offers cooking classes to children in a safe environment that encourages discovery and creativity. Each visit to Young Chefs® Academy is a new experience with fresh monthly themes and exciting new programs. ...