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Holidays, Parenting, special needs parenting, These are a few of my favourite things..., Williams Syndrome

Five Tips: Buying gifts for littles with exceptional needs

December 7, 2015 by melanie
mommydo.com | 5 tips for buying gifts for toddlers with special needs from a Mom of a child with Williams Syndrome

It’s that time of year. Make your list. Check it twice. Except, when one of the kids on your list has a developmental disability or other special needs. Choosing special needs gifts or gifts for kids with disability can seem like a challenge. Here are a few tips. It’s our 3rd Christmas with Allie, and each one has been a bit of a struggle. I don’t really know what she’d like. Certainly no one else knows what she’d like. Shopping for kids with exceptionalities isn’t easy. Every child comes with a unique set of likes and watch outs – many of…

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Holiday Baking Hang Overs

January 14, 2014 by melanie 1 Comment

Have a few things hanging around after your holiday baking? Chocolate wafers?  Maybe a few sprinkles? Some Skor bits, mini chocolate toppings? Nuts? No need to let them go to waste! These dipped Mommydo Holiday Hang Over Pretzel Sticks are a fabulous way to use up some of the odds and ends left over from the holiday baking frenzy. They take practically no time. And, your friends and co-workers have had just about enough of their New Years resolutions at this point and will be only too happy to take a few off your hands. Mommydo’s Holiday Hang Overs Dipped…

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Williams Syndrome Wednesday: Not Ok Holiday

January 1, 2014 by melanie

I took a little blogging holiday over the holidays. There was a lot to process and I couldn’t quite bring myself to form my thoughts and feelings into words. First, I found myself reliving my delivery and NICU experience as we celebrated Obi’s first birthday, only now I was able to apply the Williams Syndrome lens to what happened. This made me feel the need to go back over every painful moment to see if knowing about the WS might somehow change how I felt at the time or the decisions we made. Those were dark days, and reliving them…

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: #11 Classic Sugar Cookies

December 19, 2013 by melanie

I’ve got my binder open, and this recipe comes from a photocopy of a page from Chatelaine Magazine circa 1998. 15 years later, this is still my go-to sugar cookie recipe. As I said yesterday, I don’t have a photo yet, as we’re going to bake these over the weekend. But I find I like it when the dough chills for a good long while (overnight if possible), so I thought I’d post now so you too can get the batter together tomorrow and have a good old-fashioned cookie bake with the kids this weekend now that school is out….

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: #10 Gingerbread

December 18, 2013 by melanie 1 Comment

I realize I totally left you hanging but I had good reason. My father-in-law has been ill, which meant husband was out of town for a few days. And I had a First Birthday Party to execute. Husband did return in time for the party. Thankfully, I had premade the dough for this delightful gingerbread recipe. So I was able to quickly make a batch for kids to decorate at the party. It is a ‘fancy’ gingerbread recipe – in that there are a number of ingredients. But it also a delicious, and I mean REALLY delicious one, so it’s…

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: #7 Candy Bar Brownies

December 8, 2013 by melanie

Chocolate. Peanut butter. These are my favourite brownies in the world. They don’t have any candy bars in them, but taste very much like a frosted candy bar filling. I had other photos, but this one pretty much sums up my feeling on these. Recipe – I’d love to give credit for these, but my recipe photocopy has been hanging around since about 1999 and has no indication of where it’s from. 1 1/4 Cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 18 crackers) 1/4 Cup sugar 1/4 Cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts 1/2 Cup butter (no substitutes) melted 1/4 Cup butter…

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: #6 – Easy Holiday Festive Fudge

December 8, 2013 by melanie

Shhh, this is ‘my’ secret fudge recipe. The biggest secret is how little time it takes to make something this delicious. Confession: Though I usually make this with walnuts as per the directions, this year, in an effort to make more ‘nut-free’ goodies, I swapped the walnuts for Chippits Holiday Chips. Pretty good! And very festive. Recipe: (This is a Kraft recipe – One-Bowl Festive Fudge – from the 90’s, but I can’t find it exactly online. There are others that are close…) 10 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate 1 can (330 ml) sweetened condensed milk 1 chopped pecans or walnuts…

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: #5 Chocolate Bark 4 Ways

December 7, 2013 by melanie

I’m really seeing a lot of chocolate bark this year – everyone from Starbucks to the corner grocer seems to be selling it for Christmas. It warms my heart a little to see it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve received bark in my stocking. As a little girl, the Laura Secord Almond bark was there, year after year. Maybe Santa will remember this and drop some in this Christmas for old times sake. Even if he doesn’t, the bark tradition continues around here. I find it to be an easy way to add a little something ‘extra’…

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: Santa Magic Bars

December 5, 2013 by melanie

Magic Bars are an oldie but a goodie. These combine tart cranberries, sweet coconut, gooey marshmallows and crunchy nuts. Delicious and so easy, Magic Bars are a great choice for baking with kids. You can find the recipe online here. Prep Time: 10 minutes plus baking time Preheat To: 350ºF (180ºC)* Serving: 24 bars Ingredients: 2 cups (500 mL) graham wafer crumbs 3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, melted 1 can (300 mL) Regular or Low Fat Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans 3/4 cup (175 mL) white, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips 1 cup (250…

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The 12 Treats of Christmas: Chocolate-Caramel Thumbprints

December 4, 2013 by melanie 1 Comment

Ok – now we’re really cookin’. Or baking, or whatever. Yesterday I said I’d give you a little something that would help use up any extra melty chocolate. These little fellas are the #1 cookie in my arsenal. Gooey, chocolatey. And they really look impressive. Again, not a huge batch – about 36 cookies, but so rich and decadent, that seems to be just enough. These also need a little fridge time for the dough so the delayed gratification only serves to make them sweeter.   Chocolate-Caramel Thumbprints Yield: 36 Cookies Prep 30 mins Chill 2 hrs Bake 350°F 10…

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