The inviting store window on Front Street.

Shop owner Colleen Whitaker made us feel right at home. CP#2 was hot on the toy trail, so Colleen invited him to play with a building set while MP browsed.

There’s a lot to love at Pitter Patter, but MP was especially impressed with the Maine made items, like the vintage, silver-plated baby spoons from Tunkables in Freeport.

Tunkables baby spoons are engraved with terms of endearment like sweet pea or pumpkin.

MP also loved the pretty pillowcase dresses from Hampden’s Mermaid Girl Stitchery.

MP adores this gorgeous green dress... such great fabric!

Pitter Patter also carries Gambies—soft, cotton baby buntings with silk-screened designs. By simply pulling out the drawstring, the bunting coverts into a cozy child-size coverup.

A preppy, 80's inspired whale print from Gambies.

During all of this shopping, CP#2 continued to play happily on the rug nearby (where Colleen keeps a basket of creative toys). MP can’t wait to return again soon.

PS: Pitter Patter also offers complimentary gift wrap. Love that!

Pitter Patter, Inc.
129 Front Street
Bath
207.443.9870

FMI: Visit the web site or find Pitter Patter on Facebook.

…. congrats to Ashley! She wins a cake pop kit or cookie pop kit of her choice, plus some super cute decorative straws. Hope she sends us the delicious results!

Chances are, if you entered the contest, you have Valentine’s Day on your mind. Look at these handmade gifts MP discovered just this morning from Eastport’s Lindy Weston of Lindy by the Sea.

These whimsical, knit hearts would look great on the family table.

A festive banner for Valentine's Day or all February long.

A soft, Babushka Doll ornament makes for a sweet surprise on the kids' bedroom door.

For more from Lindy by the Sea, visit her Etsy shop.

The Bakers Confections is the brainchild of Scarborough’s Shauna Osteen and Esther Holden. While working at Le Roux Kitchen in Portland, the two ladies bonded over their love of baking, and decided to start a bakers supply shop of their own.

MP has been searching for a local source for bakers twine. So cute for wrapping gifts!

MP is particularly fond of The Bakers Confections cupcake liners and sprinkle sets for Valentine’s Day.

What cupcake wouldn't look better with these festive sprinkles?

These cute cupcake liners have a fun, retro appeal.

Like what you see? Leave us a comment below and you could win decorative paper straws plus a cake pop or cookie kit of your choice from The Bakers Confections.

Create super cute cake pops and wrap them for school valentines with this handy kit.

One winner will be chosen at random. Contest ends Friday, January 20 at midnight EST. Good luck!

To learn more about The Bakers Confections, visit their site, Etsy shop, or Facebook page. And special thanks to Shauna and Esther for the lovely photos!

The addition of creamy peanut butter, dark chocolate & pretzels make an everyday dessert extra special.

This is one of the simplest desserts MP and the kids have ever made. CP#2 enjoyed breaking up pretzel sticks in a zip lock bag using his might, and later, a rolling pin. CP#1 mixed the butter, marshmallows, and peanut butter in hopes of licking the bowl clean. However, once this sticky concoction comes together, there is no time to waste. The pretzels and cereal need to be mixed in quickly. Then the kids can place the mixture in the pan.

CP#1 is an expert at scraping every last bit of melted chocolate from the bowl.

MP drizzled melted dark chocolate to the top of the dessert and placed the pan in the fridge to allow the chocolate time to cool. Before long, the team sat around the table with tall glasses of milk and dessert in hand.

It's fair to say CP#2 knows how to enjoy a good dessert.

Rice Krispie treats will never be the same.

Nykki uses sturdy, outdoor fabric for her eye-catching organizers.

MP loves this sweet, crocheted basket for buttons and beads.

Another fabric organizer from Nykki's Etsy shop.

These nifty little organizers would also be great for barrettes, game pieces, and all of the tiny accessories that come with CP#1′s dolls and CP#2′s action figures.

Feeling the need to organize your family’s new things? You can find Nykki’s storage organizers on Etsy or Facebook. Happy 2012, everyone!

Last year, Santa brought the kids a fun, Wilton alphabet cookie cutter set. CP#1 loved the idea of giving classmates a personalized letter cookie. She chose Nestle’s dark chocolate and mint chips for the recipe. The dough is easy to work with, and the cookies turned out great.

One proud Potato

We wrapped each cookie in clear, cellophane bags. CP#1 made gift tags using festive cardstock paper.

For CP#1, the highlight of this project was giving the cookies to her school mates. There’s nothing better than a gift made with love.

Grandma and CP#1 begin work on their house.

Grandma and her friends collect all kinds of candy for the houses throughout the year, which makes for some creative decorating.

It’s hard to compete with these ladies, who have years of experience under their belts, but MP and CP#2 are proud of what we accomplished together.

What we enjoy most about the party? Spending time around the table with friends and loved ones.

CP#2 modeling (sort of) his whoopie pie shirt.

Here’s what you need:

• Plain cotton tees in varying colors
• Brown felt (we used two 9″x12″ squares for six shirts)
• White chalk
• Fabric glue
• White fabric paint
• Raised black fabric paint
• Circular craft sponges
• Cardboard square or old magazine

Steps:

1. Using white chalk, trace the base of a round glass on the felt.
2. Cut the circle in half. This makes the top and bottom halves of the whoopie pie.
3. Place a magazine or cardboard square inside of the shirt. The added layer keeps glue and paint from seeping through to the other side of your shirt.
4. Glue the top and bottom half of the circle to the T-shirt, leaving a little room for the white paint at the center.
5. Gently dab the white paint between the two halves of the whoopie pie. It’s okay to get a little on the felt.
6. Once your whoopie pie is complete, write your birthday message using the raised fabric paint.
7. Lay the T-shirt flat on a drying rack for 24 hours.

MP and the kids had a great time with this project! Plus, our friend Cathy Ducey of Mom Made it Cakes in Scarborough made DP an incredible whoopie pie cake to go with the theme.

Who says 40 can’t be fun?

Each doll is made out of washable linen, felt and cotton.

Her sweet creations, which she calls Thimbleberry dolls, are vintage-inspired with modern appeal (thanks to the fun, graphic prints). Erin does all of the work by hand, from stitching to stuffing. When she’s finished, she names each doll, too. Cute.

MP has her eye on these for CP#2. The hard part is choosing.

Seriously. Wouldn’t one of these characters look so sweet peeking out of a Christmas stocking?

To learn more, contact Erin at erincv@msn.com. You can also find Thimbleberry Dolls on Etsy and Facebook.

My husband and I have always wanted to visit Acadia National Park. We’ve heard of the area’s beauty and peacefulness, but wondered if it was possible to enjoy the scenery with three children under 5. This fall, we traveled to Bar Harbor for an overnight trip to find out.

To our surprise, the whole family was able to enjoy Acadia’s serene and amazing views on our hike up Gorham Mountain.The parking lot and start to the trail is on the right after Thunder Hole on Park Loop Road. The trail is .9 miles to the summit.

This trail was so great for my five-year old because he was able to hike independently. The trail was exciting for him — there were so many rocks he had to climb. He also had to figure out which path to take, using Cairn markers throughout the trail (the markers are rock sculptures that are placed at junctions along the trail to lead the way).

My three-year old enjoyed the trail as well – she did need some help climbing up and down steeper rocks. She is the one that always says, “Are we there yet?” but that was rarely said on the journey up. Although it was a different story going down.

As for my husband? He is a tough one! He carried our one-year old (now 2), all the way up in a Kelty backpack carrier. We were surprised again when our little one didn’t complain and enjoyed the ride.