Our Country Gives Thanks

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”
- Abraham Lincoln – October 3, 1863

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND GOD BLESS!

Retro Christmas Wish List: Baby Carlitos

Hooray, tt's Baby Carlitos first Christmas! It's kinda' tricky figuring out what this little guy likes, after all his personality is just starting to come out. But a seasoned vintage mama such as myself knows what little rascally boys like. So without further ado, here is Baby Carlitos wish list:

Cloud b Sleep Sheep ~ I just love to play music for my little guys. We already have this awesome Playskool Mp3 player that we use in the car (Jack-Jack would cry non-stop in the car with out it). But I think this precious little sheep is perfect for lulling my little lamb in his crib. Plus it also drowns out all the ruckus from the older boys!

Organic Fruit Tote ~ It's never too early to start with healthy eating habits! These cute plush toys are made with 100% organic Egyptian cotton so they're super soft and safe for my teething Carlitos to munch on. When he's older he can pretend to buy his fruits n' veggies at the farmers market just like mama!
Maple Fire Truck ~ I really love wooden toys for babies. You don't have to worry about pthalates like plastic or sharp edges like metal toys plus they look so cute and old fashion don't they. This cute fire truck will be his introduction to the wonderful world of car racing and crashing. I should probably get 2, one for Baby Carlitos and one for Jack-Jack.

Melissa & Doug Toys ~ Toys from Melissa and Doug are timeless. They have wooden puzzles, wooden play food (which I think I'm gonna add to Noah-the-Poohs wish list), puppet theaters, cute baby pianos and lovely wooden stacker's like the one above. Oh it's gonna be a Melissa and Doug bonanza this Christmas!

Vintage Theme Building Blocks ~ Ooooh, these handmade blocks are darling! A simple toy that will bring much joy!

Lavender Sock Baby Rattle ~ This snuggley little doll has a soft rattle and a pinch of lavender for extra sweet dreams. Isn't that baby precious?

It's almost Christmas! If you haven't made your list do it now. Your wallet will thank you later!

You'll Know It's Time to Turn the Page When You Hear The Chime...

Remember those books-on-record you had as a kid? They were fantastic weren't they. Well last year as I was searching the web for an audio version of the classic The Carrot Seed for our homeschool, I found Kiddie Records Weekly. This wonderful website has hundreds of our beloved classic books-on-record. You can listen via audio stream, download the torrent zip file, or purchase a CD with all the stories. Here are some of our favorites:

2005 week 30

2009 Week 20

2009 Week 8

Next time you get the urge to turn on the boob tube to babysit the kids (I know I'm guilty of this), bring out some play dough, crayons & coloring books or cars and have your little guys and dolls listen to classic chidren stories instead!

Thanksgiving Traditions

Family traditions are wonderful, aren't they? Traditions create memories, instill values, strengthen family bonds and teach a little history all at the same time. One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is helping my Abuelita Lola make her super yummy stuffing. I love hearing all the clattering pots and smelling the delicious Thanksgiving feast fragrances as I helped Abuelita chop, slice and mix. Now that I'm older (and she's more delicate), Abuelita has passed the tradition of making her famous stuffing to me! And now that I have my own family, we are creating our own Thanksgiving traditions. Here are some of our new traditions:

• As shared in a previous post, we go pumpkin hunting at the Tanaka Farm and bake our giant pumpkin into homemade pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. We use Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe, though we use our fresh pumpkin (that has been roasted) instead of the canned and we also add a touch of allspice.


• We read about the struggles that the Pilgrims had in their first years in the new world before the first Thanksgiving. This is an article from the Mayflower Quarterly, a poem by Hezekiah Butterworth, a virtual tour of daily pilgrim life and a bible study.


• We help our church distribute Thanksgiving meals to families in need.

What are some of your Thanksgiving Family Traditions?

He's One Smooth Criminal!

Doesn't my big boy look darling! He's been asking for a hat for dancing (he's been enthralled with Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal and says he need a hat like his to get the moves right). Well the other day we went to Rattle n' Roll in Uptown Whittier and found the perfect hat. This cute fedora is made by Knucklehead Clothing. I think Noah-the-Pooh was right...he did need hat to get the moves right!

It's The Little Things That Say I Love You

Some people care too much. I think it's called love. ~ Winnie the Pooh

It was less then 2 years ago that Noah-the-Pooh was an only child and I seemed to have mounds of time to do those little things that said "I love you". Like snuggling on the couch and taking a nap together, throwing all our pillows and blankets on the floor and rolling around in them, or cutting his cheese sandwiches into dinosaur shapes.

The other day Noah-the-Pooh reminded me of how I used to decorate the house for every season. "I miss that..." he said as he poked at an earthworm. So even though it was tough with my two little guys, we made the trek to a beautiful farm to pick out some pumpkins (which will do a lovely job of bringing some ambiance until we bake some pies and muffins with them) and we gathered some pine cones and lovely red,yellow and orange leaves from our nature walks. I also found my precious caramel strudel grubby candle that I love to light during the fall (alas, Country Passion Candles are no more). Viola! Autumn and love have filled the Poblano home.

How do you decorate with love?

Retro Christmas Wish List: Noah-the-Pooh

On my last post I shared with you some of my Jack Jacks Christmas wish list. This wish list is for 7 year old Noah-the-Pooh. I'm only going to share a few items because Noah-the-Pooh's wish list is quite extensive, and of course not everything on his list is retro (he does watch cartoons after all!). So here we go:

Star Wars Pop-up Guide to the Galaxy- Perhaps it's not vintage, but it certainly is retro! Noah-the-Pooh just LOVES Star Wars and pop-up books. He's just starting to read on his own and I think this book will definitely motivate him to do it more often!

Fun Ride Deluxe Zip Line - What boy wouldn't love to fly through the air and howl like Tarzan? Noah-the-Pooh loves riding the zip line at the park and has been dreaming of having one his own. I wonder if he would be terribly embarrassed if I zipped through the air and howled like Tarzan as well?

Real Cowboy Gear- I am convinced that every boy needs to have a pair of real cowboy boots (I remember my little brother wore his with his Superman costume), and I am ashamed to say that I have yet to get Noah-the-Pooh his pair. So before he gets too big for his britches, Vintage Mama's gonna git her cowboy some proper boots, a cowboy hat and maybe even a trick rope!

Electric Railroad Train- I'm actually going to cheat a little on this one. Noah-the-Pooh has Thomas Train on his wish list, but when I saw this train I just knew he would rather have real train. It has a real working headlight, smoke, sounds and even a lighted interior! What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon with dad!

Building Projects for Boys- Any vintage mama with boys knows that they really aren't the "crafty" type. Sure they'll paste and paint, but what they really want to do it build and create! This 3 book set by Popular Mechanics is filled with clever idea's for curious boys! Titles include The Boy Mechanic, The Boy Scientist, and The Boy Mechanic Makes Toys.

The Dangerous Book for Boys- I was quite taken back by the titles of these books when he showed them to me. Was he gonna blow up the t.v. or somethin'? Well not exactly. These books teach boys how to do all the essentials, like make slime, a smoke bomb, and yes...a stink bomb. Dangerous indeed!

Praying Mantis Kit- What is it with boys and bugs? Must they touch, poke, catch and shove them into their horrified mama's faces? Apparently they do. At least this kit will keep the critter safe so that my curious little guy can observe to his hearts content!

Have you started a wish list for your little guys and dolls?