My New Blog Design and My First Blog Award!

Wait a second, does anyone notice anything different about "Three Jewels In My Crown"? 
I knew I had smart followers.  It didn't take you long at all to realize
I have a new and improved blog design! Yipee!
I personally would like to Welcome you to "Three Jewels In My Crown".
A big hug and squeeze goes out to Jessica from A Blog To Brag About .  She is the genius behind this amazing blog design.  Together we crafted this amazing header that represents everything "Three Jewels In My Crown" is all about.  I'm seriously so excited I could pee my pants!  After 3 kids it doesn't take much to make me pee my pants anymore.  Raise your hands if you understand what I'm talking about ladies! For those who haven't had kids yet, keep practicing those keagles!
I'm also very thankful for each and every reader who follows my blog and for those who engage me through your wonderful comments.  A big hug  goes out to all of you.
Now if this wasn't enough excitement for one day would you believe that I have even more good news?
Well, today I received my very first Blog Award!

C from Random Thoughts And Musings From The Island is so sweat for presenting me with this award!

What would be the point of an award if you didn't share it with others?  So, there are some rules and responsibilities when you accept this award.

Here are the rules for the "Sweet Blog" Award:

Give this award to 10 sweet and friendly bloggers
Make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you
Put the award on your blog
Let your nominated 10 know you've awarded them by leaving a comment

The 10 amazing bloggers that I am presenting this award to are highly deserving of this award and they have fabulous blogs that I follow regularly.  This is  award is actually more rewarding to give than receive!

1. Taylor from Mary Janes and Galoshes Her fabulous blog offers craft ideas, tutorials and product reviews
2. Cynthia from Crumbs in the Minivan has a lovely blog about parenting and entertainment
3. Allie from No Time For Flash Cards has a great site for toddler crafts
4. Marie from Make and Takes has an amazing site that offers craft ideas, party ideas & parenting tips
5. Erin from Apples With Honey has a beautiful blog about life and parenting.  I adore her creative writing
6. Kami from No Biggie has a great blog about parenting, crafts, cooking and tutorials
7. Kathy from Mama's Losin' It has an amazing blog with writer's workshops, vlogging and much more
8. Holly from Domestic Dork has a hilarious blog about parenting, crafting and life in general
9. Shanna from My Favorite Everything has a lovely blog with tons of product reviews
10. Jessica from A Blog To Brag About  As mentioned above she is a great blog designer who just so happens to blog as well.

Well my friends, what do you think?  I'd love to know what you think of my new blog design and about my blog award.  This is a great opportunity to get in on the surprise giveaway that ends at midnight on May 22, 2010.  So drop me a line or two and you'll be entered to win.

Sally Centrifuge-The salad spinner that saves lives!

A couple months ago a good friend introduced me to a life changing kitchen tool gadget!{when I hear the word tool I think of my husband, I mean I think of something my husband would have in his garage.}  Oops love you honey!  Have you ever heard of this thingamajiggiy called a salad spinner?  I like to refer to it as the Gravitron.  What?  Tell me you've been on the Gravitron!   The amuzement park ride that looks like a space ship and spins nonstop until you hurl your cotton candy and raspberry snowcone.  Just speaking from experience.  Fine, I'll show you a pic so that you know what the heck I'm talking about!  

Ok, now that we have a visual of what a salad spinner looks like, I can move forwad with the actual point of this post.  Like I was saying, my friend introduced me to the gadget that makes your greens dizzy!  I think she purchased her salad spinner at Costco for $19.99.  Actually, I think I just made that price up in my head.  I have no idea what she paid for it.  I must be having adult ADD today because I can't seem to stay on topic.
After I had used my salad spinner a few times, I honestly couldn't bare the thought of living another day without it.{slight exaggeration}  Maybe I'm lacking in  the entertainment department lately but I really do think it's a lot more fun to spin my lettuce dry.  Yesterday, I actually said to Sapphire, "When I was your age we had to towel dry our lettuce.  It didn't come from a bag either.  It came from the ground.  Consider yourself privileged to have a salad spinner." 
Did you know that once you stop hand cranking the salad spinner it continues to revolve six more times?  I made that up too but I bet 20 bucks, actually $19.99, the next time you use your salad spinner you're going to check to see how many times it revolves after you stop hand cranking it!  Mark my word!

Ok Crystal, what is the point to this post?

Well, did you know that a salad spinner can save lives?  I didn't know that either until I came across {this} article that highlights two Rice University undergrads who turned a salad spinner into a rudimentary cetrifuge that separates blood.  This may not be intriguing to everyone but as a Nurse I find this fascinating.
You see, when a lab collects your blood into vials they put it into a crazy expensive machine and basically spin it so that the different parts of the blood separate into heavier red blood cells and lighter plasma.  The hematocrit, or ratio of red blood cells to the total volume can tell clinicians if a patient is anemic.
In many parts of the world these expensive machines just don't exist.
To quote the article, "The spinner has been turned, so to speak, into a rudimentary centrifuge that medical clinics in developing countries can use to separate blood without electricity. " This revolutionized salad spinner, named Sally Centrifuge, will be travelling to Ecuador and Swaziland this May/June.  The two students will be putting their invention to good use when they participate in the Beyond Traditional Borders health initiative. If underdeveloped countries have access to inexpensive tools (word of the day) that detect anemia, this will make a huge differnce in diagnosing malnutrition, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria.

I'd like to hear what you think of this story on Sally Centriufge.  Do you own a salad spinner and what do you think of it?  Do you use it or is it just another gadget taking up space in your cupboards? 

Lately,  I've been asked about some of the animated pics that I've posted on my blog and how I created them.  I'd like to welcome you to the world of Photo Manipulation aka Digital Image Editing. Today, photo manipulation is widely accepted as an art form. I personally love to tamper with my digital photos whenever given the chance.  Photo editing is not a new concept by any means.  In as early as the 1860s, photographs were already being manipulated, only a few decades after Niepce created the first photograph in 1814. Fastforward to 2010 and we now have access to high resolution cameras, powerful pc's and sophisticated photo editing software. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a professional photographer and terms like ISO, Aperature and Shutter Speed tumble around in my head like underpants in the dryer. The beauty of the world wide web is that it offers hundreds of free online photo editing websites.
Photo editing is not only fun but also a pretty essential element if you want your pictures to look good.
Today I'd like to share with you some of my favorite free online photo editing sites {because not all of use can afford the latest addition of Adobe Photoshop}


#1 Photobucket
Not only is this a reliable online photo storage site but I like to use Photobucket for the bulk of my editing needs.  This site is great for assigning HTML codes to your pictures. {if you're a blogger you'll understand why HTML codes are important} These codes can be copied very easily and used in blog posts or on your Myspace page.  Photobucket also assigns codes for email, IM, direct link and IMG, all used for different applications. It is very user friendly and easy to navigate. It has basic editor and advanced editor options for enhancing photos. You can access simple applications such as resizing and adding text or more advanced features such as color saturation and histograms.   A quick story to share with you.  When Pearl was 1 week old I was attempting to reformat my memory card.  In the process of reformating I lost all of her pics from birth and her first week of life!
*gasp* If you're wondering, Yes, I was crushed like a empty coke can under the feet of a 12 year old boy!  If you're a Mom you know how special these photo memories are!  Even her first bath pic was deleted!  :(  Ever since that horrific experience I always make sure to save my pics to a disk regularly and I also make sure they are saved to a online photo storage site!  Photobucket allows you the option to share with others online or to keep your photos private. 

#2 Picnik
95% of what you'll do in Photoshop you can do in Picnik and just as easily. My favorite feature of Picnik is the unlimited undo button. You can edit to your hearts delight then remove each application, layer by layer, with the undo button.  The one down fall of this site is that those who opt to use it as a free member are deprived of some of the premium features.  Despite this, I've found that it has more than ample options for the average user. It has many powerful editing tools as well as great special effect features to add to your photos.  I also love this site for its great selection of fonts. Sue Ellen Francis is my favourite font to use.  I also love the vintage editing tool that enhances photos to make them appear as if they were taken in the 1960's.  If you've browsed my blog than you may have noticed the neat "daisy frames" or "polaroid frames" that I'v added to some of my pics. This site offers these features along with many others.

#3 Fotoflexer
This is a great instant editing site without having to become a member.  Like other photo editors, it also has an array of editing tools such as auto-fix, redy-eye adjust, and cropping.  It also offers some extra feautres such as animated stickers, photo frames and glittered text.

#4 Lunapic
If you like to morph your photos, add animation or just have fun with editing than you must check out this site. In my Cake Pops post I used the reflection application to add a bit of animation to one of my photos. Lunapic does not impress me with it's image editing tools, but it does make up for this with it's unique animation and image creation tools. Lunapic will generate a HTML code for bloggers or Myspace users but I've found it much more difficult and slower at generating this code than say Photobucket.
Even though I consider myself a loyal user of sites such as Picnik and Photobucket, I will stop by Lunapic every now and again to take advantage of its amazing animation effects.

#5 Big Huge Labs
When I want to have even more fun with my photos I visit this site. It offers cool features such as photo collages, vintage photobooth strips, and tons of unique frames. Why not add your child to a magazine cover or announce something important on a billboard while visiting this site?

Honorable Mentions
Picasa
Oldify Me

Now, for some examples of before and afters! {Prewarning- I am not a professional photographer. I'm just a hobbyist and a Mom who likes to take photos of her kids and enhance them slightly. Therefore, you may find these pics pathetic and very amateur but I'm just demonstrating some of the techniques available} Click pictures to enlarge.  This way you'll be able to fully see the effects I used !

Opal riding his bike!  Color splash technique by Photobucket

A tree on our farm! Color enhancing using Picnik

Some clouds on our farm.  I used the circle splash tool to make it apper as if the sun was trying to burst through the clouds. 

Opal and Daddy walking the farm.  I used Picnik and Oldify Me to edit this photo

Look closely and you'll see Opal sitting on his tricycle.  I used Lunapic for this photo

Pearl sitting on the front lawn.  I used color splash, glitter text, cropping and vingette framing

This is Opal and Sapphire at the zoo. {sorry about the head cropping but I have privacy issues when it comes to putting photos of my kids online} This is the reflecting water animation tool from Lunapic

These are just a few of the many tools and applications available.  One thing I'm still toying with is watermarking my photos.  I haven't found a great site for watermarking.  If you're not familiar with watermarking it's basically putting a stamp on your photos. Watermarking helps to prevent photo theft when posting photos online!  Can anyone help me find a good site for watermarking?  Also, I'd love to hear from you what other sites you use to edit photos.  I would like to check them out!

cakepops!

Today I made these Cake Pops! They're so cute I can hardly stand it!

Have you heard of Bakerella?  No?  Ok, take 2 minutes to check out her website then I'll meet you right back here after that!

I know!  I fell in love with her goodies too!  There's just one problem.  I have as much patience or lack thereof as a 3 year old at a doctor's appointment! I enjoy baking but I tend to stick with the quick and fool-proof recipes.

That's why I decided to use Bakerella's cake pops as Inspiration!

So, what would you say if I told you that you don't have to turn your stove on, or crack an egg or even plug in your mixer to make these cake pops?

I must admit that Bakerella's recipe that involves pulsing a baked cake and mixing it with icing isn't really that labour intensive, however my method is for those who have little to no time in their day but still enjoy a sweet treat now and then.

So, here is how I adapted her recipe to make it super simple!  

If you live in Canada you know what these are!

If not they are called Timbits aka donut holes.  If you live in the U.S.A., I think coffee shops like Duncan Donuts have something similar.  So basically, I bought 10 plain Timbits {I didn't use the chocolate kind because they have a sugar glaze on them and I thought it might be too much}

Then I bought some pink chocolate melts from the bulk food store.  As well as some sprinkles and candy sticks.  

 Instructions:

1. Place stick in the Timbit {tip I put them in the freezer for a few mins while I melted the chocolate.  This will make them more firm and the chocolate will harden faster}

2. Melt chocolate in glass bowl (stir every 30 seconds) until smooth and runny

3. Dip Timbit in chocolate and twirl to remove excess chocolate.  If you have craft foam to stick them in great!  I forgot to get some so I used some kids playdoh in the containers to stick them in.  They just need to stand upright while drying.  Cover with sprinkles before the chocolate is completely dry.  Decorate as you wish.  I used some left over tulle and a little bow! 

Since I was already in the kitchen I thought I would make use of my time so I went on to make these adorable mini cupcakes. 

Doesn't this picture just remind you of Alice in Wonderland! 

Sapphire has gotten so much use out of this tiny tea set! 

Again, no need to turn on your oven for these adorable little treats! 

I used store bought mini muffins!  You know the kind that come in the plastic container?  I melted some light chocolate (again stir every 30 sec) in the microwave.  Then I poured a small amount into the bottom part of the plastic muffin container that you just bought. 

You could also buy a candy mold like this but I saved $3 because I used the plastic container that the muffins came in.

You may have to play around a bit to get the correct amount.  Then place your muffin in the chocolate base so that it covers the bottom and all the way up to the rim of the muffin top. 

Place in the fridge to harden

Melt your pink chocolate in the microwave

Dip top of muffin in pink chocolate then decorate with candy sprinkles and a red M&M. 

Cute as a button!

   Cheers!

There's a turd in the toilet with no toilet paper. Who didn't wipe their butt?

Well dear friends, I just got the kids onto the school bus. 25 mins of frantic mahem but mission accomplished. I think some of our morning tasks should be featured on that new game show "Minute To Win It".
Crystal you have 1 minute to fully dress a 4 year old (socks, underwear, pants, shirt, hat, lunch box, school bag) Start the clock! Go!
It wouldn't be so frustrating if Opal wasn't jumping on the bed laughing at me as I grab for his left leg. Oh, so close!  Then he runs into another room, squeeling with delight!   When I do catch him he curls up into a snail position and everywhere I touch he thinks I'm tickling him.  All of the sudden we've created this most amazing game! I know what you're thinking, why don't you let your 4 year old dress himself.
Super easy answer! On days he doesn't go to school he does dress himself but typically his pants are put on backwards, his shirt is inside out and his socks, well,  I've told you about our history with socks.
Does everyone have a monster living in their lundry room that has a yearning desire to devour "every other sock" and "every other mitten".  It's like a cereal(breakfast still on the brain) serial killer marking his path!
This monster leaves one sock behind just so you know he's come and gone leaving traces of evidence that he exists. 
Maybe I'm lacking some essential vitamin D.  I want the sun to come back! It's been almost a week with overcast weather and I need to stimulate my endorphins. I need my little dose of happiness that I get from "Mr Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun"!

This morning I'm feeling sort of down on myself!  I try not to focus on my parenting blunders  because I know we all have good days and bad days, however, today is the day after one of those "bad days" and the guilt is starting to set in!
There are so many things I struggle with in parenting so today I'm asking for your help!!!!!!!!!
Here are a few of my concerns that I need help with.

1.  Why can't I get my son to wipe his own butt!  Seriously,  he's 4 and can dress himself (sort of).  He's like a pint size dictator or king of the thrown (pardon the pun) When he finishes going poo he shouts at the top of his lungs, "I'm done, can somebody wipe my butt" This same kid can do back flips off the monkey bars and can do wheelies on his bike but he can't figure out how to wipe his butt. Where have I gone wrong?

Since we're discussing the potty, I also want to point out how disgusting it is when  you enter the lou to find a surprise turd in the toilet! Do I have to bribe them with stickers to get them to flush? What's more concerning is that sometimes there's no toilet paper accompanying that turd which means someone didn't wipe! Yuck!!!

Does anyone else find it odd that we become expert interpreters at reading the wellbeing of our kids by examining their poop! You didn't know you had that talent did you?
2.  How do I get my kids to eat their veggies?  Not a problem with Pearl yet because her little mouth is constantly open like a preciuos baby bird.  Waiting for the next crumb of food to fall into it! She reminds me a lot like our dog Bailey! She scours the floor looking for left over crumbs or bits of food left behind by the older two.  Last nights supper was a cabbage casserole packed with nutrients and wonderful ingredients. 
Opal and Sapphire picked and picked.  Spreading the food about their plate to make it look as if they had eaten some.  Do they really think I'm that stupid?  Next Sapphire says, "How many more bites until we get dessert?"  My snarky reply "All of  it, every last spec.  You should be thankful you have food to eat!  If you don't eat every last spec I'm putting you to bed hungary and you'll never have supper ever again!"  Yes, that is me yelling and threatning my kids!  When did I become my mother?  Does anyone have any novel ideas?  I'm at the end of my rope when it comes to getting my kids to eat their vegetables! By the way do pickles count as a serving of vegetables? I joke!
3.Finally, I want someone to tell me not to worry that Pearl isn't pulling herself up yet and has no interest in walking.  She's almost 1 and I know every kid walks eventually but why do I still feel like a failure because my baby is going to be a late walker?  I shouldn't be surprised because Sapphire didn't walk until 15 months.  I wasn't concerned until  last week  I saw a couple other 12 month olds walking.  Then the comparisons begin!  Why do I do this to myself? 


I guess all I need this morning is a big hug and maybe a white chocolate mocha latte from Starbucks! 

Can anyone please help me with my above mentioned parenting roadblocks?

What kind of award does the dentist of the year get? ~a little plaque~ hahhaha

My kids ask me over and over again why they have to brush their teeth.  I explain to them over and over again the reasons why but it never seems to convince them that it's a good thing to brush and floss daily.  I've even resorted to the "fear tactic" by showing them pictures of gingivitis and rotting teeth.  However, kids this age don't understand the direct cause and effect of taking proper care of their teeth because cavities take time to show up.  They've even witnessed my dental horror stories first hand!
I'm a really big believer in learning through play.  Through trial and error my kids have taught me that I can pretty much get them to do anything if I demonstrate parental involvement and if they have fun doing it! 

I came across this activity online

I didn't have any marshmallows at home so I decided to tweek this craft to make it my own. (Plus I get a strange sense of satisfaction when I use my glue gun.  Yes I agree, it's weird!! However, last time I checked there isn't a self help group for "glue gun addicts" Maybe I could start one!  Good excuse to get out of the house once a week!lol)

This is my interpretation!  Kid's Style Dentures!

Supplies:

• 
  
  Cardboard(I found some pink cardboard at the grocery store otherwise you can color it pink to resemble lips/palate)
• 
  
  Gum

This kind

Not this kind!





Why not this kind you ask?  Well, if your kids are "sugar addicts" like mine than they will try to secretly eat the sugary gum and not the peppermint kind when you're not looking.  Not a good thing once you've hotglued them to cardboard.  Your kids may have more self-control than mine so this may not be an issue for you!  Also, you can explain to them what a clean and healthy mouth smells like if you use the spearmint kind. 

• Red construction paper. You could also use craft foam or felt instead.  This would make it more realistic looking
• Hot glue gun, glue stick,
• Sissors
• PomPoms and Googly Eyes

Instructions:
1. Cut a circle out of cardboard and then cut it into half to resemble two half moons.  If you have a denture cup on hand (doesn't everyone keep a denture cup on hand?  No!  Just me) you can use this as a template! 
2.  Glue a piece of red construction paper (cut in the same shape) to one piece of cardboard to resemble a   tongue
3.  Hot glue your pieces of gum to the top and bottom pieces of cardboard to resemble a set of teeth. 
~tip~ I used two whole pieces of gum for the top front teeth then cut the remainder in half
4.  I cut a rectangular piece of cardboard that allowed me to elevate the top palate onto the the bottom palate. This creates the jaw
5.  Glue the pompoms and googly eyes on top
Voila a set of "Kid's Style" dentures to play with!

Other Activities

• Cut out smiles from magazines to cut and paste like the doggy pic above that Opal chose to cut out!
• Take "before and after" pics of your child's teeth.  Have your child eat something like peanut butter or you could use plaque detector pre-rinse to highlight the germs on their teeth.  Snap a pic of their "yucky teeth" then have them demonstrate proper brushing and flossing.  Finally, snap a pic of their clean sparkly teeth.  I used the picnik website to add polaroid frames to my pics above.  They look like the kind of pictures taken at a dentist office.  It would be a good idea to tape the "before and after" pics to the bathroom mirror to remind your children about proper brushing
• Set up a pretend Denstist office.  Your child can pretend to be the Dentist and his/her dolls and stuffies can be the patients.  Be sure to get some stickers or printable rewards for the dolls and stuffies who have cavity free smiles
• Read some books.  I suggest

If you're little one is in the process of loosing their baby teeth than you must visit the 

I caught the Tooth Fairy website! 

Your kids will never question the validity of the Tooth Fairy because you'll have evidence of their visit.  Receive 50% off with the code fairy-1

Finally, if you're glue gun isn't sitting on top of your kitchen counter like mine is{ for quick and easy use}

 then stick with  the marmallows!

For instructions on how to make this "Marshmallow Teeth" project visit                    

                                            The mother Huddle blog site!

The point is to have a little fun when teaching your kids about Dental Hygiene!

PS- I'm trying not to overreact but Pearl still only has 2 bottom teeth and she is almost 1.  Sapphire and Opal both had at least 8 teeth by now.  Anyone know if this is normal?  I could google it but I much prefer hearing about other moms' own experiences with teeth and teething.  While on the topic anyone have any good suggestions for teething pain?