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Valentine’s Jello Pops
Source: tablespoon.com via Chiara on Pinterest
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! What type of fun treats do you make with your little ones, or for your significant other? I’m always looking for more ways of incorporating reds and pinks into fun snacks for Valentine’s Day. While I always be sure that more items are heart-shaped on the ‘day of love’, this will be a great addition to the color palette of the day. I would imagine that you could have fun with this idea for the 4th of July, Easter, Halloween, St. Patty’s Day and more – just change the colors around!
Dinosaur Tails!
Love this cute and fun craft from projectsbyjess.blogspot.com! Kids will LOVE to wear their dinosaur tails wherever they go!
Source: projectsbyjess.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012.
What a year 2011 was. Some great times, including watching little M grow, learn and experience more of what this world has to offer, our first trip to Florida, cooking and baking more, getting in better health as a family, celebrating my 3rd wedding anniversary with my wonderful husband, and creating many memories that will last forever. Some of the sad times of 2011 was losing my aunt Marion and my husbands grandfather. His grandfather was a great man, always had a smile on his face!! My aunt Marion was amazing. We had many laughs, many ‘adventures’ as she would put it, and we miss her like crazy! Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. Shortly after them passing, I went through an ectopic pregnancy – something that has changed me forever. I definitely look at life differently now.
Through it all, 2011 was a year that I will never forget. However, I am very excited about what 2012 has to offer and am certain that it will be a fabulous year!
What were your best times of 2011? Are you looking forward to starting a new year?
Santa Came!
I hope that everyone had an amazing holiday filled with love, joy, laughter and memories to last a lifetime. Ours was amazing, and as always, went by way too fast.
This year we followed the same traditions that we have in years past, such as baking the crazy a few days prior to Christmas, giving to those in need, exchanging ornaments on Christmas Eve, seeing both my family and the in-laws, taking lots of pictures, eating to much, etc.
This year was much more exciting in terms of the Santa department because Maeberry was much more into it this year, how that she’s 2 and all. We put out eggnog and peanut butter balls (how lucky is that guy?!?), carrots for the reindeer, bought separate wrapping paper, made special “From Santa” tags, and really got into the whole “Santa knows of you’ve been a good girl” thing. It was AMAZING…even though I had a few slip ups and close calls (see previous post). I’ll get better next year. Promise!
Did you have a wonderful holiday? What traditions do you and your family have? What do you leave out for Santa?
How I May Have Ruined Santa
A few days ago, I had posted how we went shopping and how magical Christmas was, no matter how many presents involved, yada, yada, yada…
Well, now I may have officially ruined Santa for miss M, who is 2 years old.
Since our fabulous shopping trip, I have yet to take the toys out of my car and stash them away. Since M is always cleaning and organizing with me, I figured that the car was the safest place to hide the gifts. Until today.
As we were playing with her blocks, she decided to inform me that she wanted to play with the train set that was in the back of the truck (which is how she sometimes will describe my SUV). I’m all like “Oh, there’s no train in there! Where did you get that?”, as I’m internally freaking out about how she could have possibly known this. Then it hit me! When I put her in the car, I set her on the actual backseat, then I climb in so I can reach the car seat. FYI: I’m only 5’2″. Since the genius that I am never covered up the gifts with the blanket that is sitting RIGHT next to it, she must have caught a glimpse as I was getting her situated.
A train set was the ONLY thing that she had asked for from the jolly ol’ man. Since she talks about Santa and wanting a train set everyday, I’m a little worried that I totally ruined the magic of Santa.
Surely I’m just over thinking this, right? Right? Come on people! Tell me what I’m supposed to do!
Yours Truly,
The Mom Who Ruined Santa for a 2 Year Old
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
**Consider this a warning that once you make these, you may gain 5 pounds. But, its totally worth it! …Yes, they are really that good.
You’re tired of the plain ol’ chocolate cupcake with plain frosting? You’ve done the sprinkles, the fruit, the decorating, the candy toppings. Enough already! Change your life up a little with chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting! Super easy and quick!
Step 1: Make your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe (out of the box is fine, I won’t tell!). Bake the cupcakes and let cool.
Step 2: Make the best peanut butter frosting.
You’ll need:
1/2 cup butter, softened but NOT melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp milk (approx)
Beat butter in medium bowl with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add in peanut butter. Mix until combined. Start adding confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time. At around 1 full cup, the mixture will start to become thick, add 1 tbsp milk. Add another 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and vanilla. Keep mixing. Add in another 1 tbsp milk. Add the remaining confectioners sugar. Add remaining 1 tbsp milk as needed to make smooth.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to spread over cupcakes.
Step 3: Eat, share, enjoy!
Ta-da! Heaven on a plate!
You’re welcome!
The Meaning Of Our Family Holiday
Oh, the joys of the large shopping crowds, people rushing, nice attitudes being thrown out the window, and the never-ending search for the best gift for your loved ones. Now, if that doesn’t make you want June to suddenly appear, I don’t know what will.
My husband and I have decided that we will be limiting our Christmas gifts to our daughter (almost 2 1/2 year old) to 2 main gifts. Yes, we’ll do the little stocking stuffers, but there is no way that she is going to be sitting on the living room floor opening gifts for hours upon hours, just to forget about half of the toys she was given within a month, missing pieces to toys to make them unusable, and us going broke on replacement batteries. Not only that, but we’ll be putting some money away that would normally be spent on Christmas gifts, for a big trip to Disney someday. (It might not be until her 18th birthday, but we’re saving for it nonetheless.) We will also be buying gifts for children less fortunate, as we always do, and showing her that giving is a very important part of our life.
Between our love for giving to our daughter, family, friends, and those in need, I am often in search of the best deals this gal can find. Tonight, for example, we went to 4 different stores looking for the best prices. We found what we wanted, at a price that we were willing to pay. We got what we needed and smiled at a few people who looked like they could use some ‘Christmas Cheer’.
Exhausted and with our wallets a little lighter, we arrived home to find our daughter happily playing with my Mother-In-Law who was watching her while we battled the stores. She had just watched a holiday movie on TV as a ‘special treat’ and couldn’t have been more excited. That’s when it hit me. No matter if we buy her 2 main gifts, 15 main gifts, or nothing at all, the magic of this time of year that lives in our hearts is what makes Christmas something that we will always look forward to. It’s not about the gifts. It’s not about shopping for the best deals. It’s not about grumbling because you just had to wait in traffic getting in or out of the parking lot. It’s not about how rude some people can be this time of year. It’s about love, family, sharing, caring, giving, and believing.
What’s the meaning of the holidays for you and your family?
Do you still find the holidays magical?
Post a listing!
Have a community event that you want to share? Own a shop that is geared towards babies and/or kids of all ages? Have a service, perhaps photography, that you want others in your area to know about? Do you host a playgroup, class, or other activity that other might want to check out? POST IT IN OUR “CATALOG”!
All listings for ‘Community Events’ and ‘Activites/Classes/Sports’ are active for 30 days, option of uploading 2 images and FREE to post! ‘Services’ & ‘Shops’ is only $4.99 for 60 days and up to 6 images.
Get on it! Start listing!!!
Home Team
Both personally and professionally, my husband and I had been through a lot long before we started dating. These “bumps in the road” challenged us during the very early stages of our relationship. From early on, we knew that we had to stick by each others sides with support and love. If we didn’t do that now, where was our relationship supposed to go? The “bumps” that I’m talking about are mainly an injury that I sustained while working, along with injuries that he sustained while fighting for our country. Along with physical pain comes emotional pain, or at least it did for us. We had to face the facts that we may not be able to do all of the sports, hobbies, or even hold the same jobs that we once did as a result from our separate physical injuries. At times, that was hard to deal with.
At one point, I was having a particularly rough time facing the facts. I remember my husband (then boyfriend) looking at me and saying “We’ll get through this. We’re ‘home team’.”. He meant that we are sticking together no matter what. We didn’t have a choice. We loved each other, we wanted to be together forever, and much like a sports team (he’s a HUGE football fan), you have to stick together both when times are at an all time high, and at an all time low. He was right. We were ‘home team’.
With our life in a much different place now, rather than what it was when he first made that comment, we still find ourselves saying that statement if we are faced with a “bump in the road”.
Whether it be a marriage, other serious relationship, or life in general, there WILL be bumps in the road. Are you and your significant other acting like a home team? Are you willing to have each others backs during an all time high, and at an all time low? If not, how can you get there?
Communication is key. And the statement about ‘home team’ that my husband made was one of the best things he has ever said to me. It enabled us to keep communication open, even if all we have to say are those two words.
Hot Cocoa Ride
‘Tis the season for holiday lights, and what kid doesn’t like an adventure?
What you’ll need: hot cocoa in travel mugs, pajamas, a car, a fun attitude!
Instructions: put your pajamas on (mom and dads too!), grab your hot cocoa, get in the car, drive around ‘ooohhh’ing and ‘ahhhh’ing at the holiday lights through out your town. You can go on as long or as short of a drive as you’d like. Obviously, the longer you drive, the more gas you use… Even if you go out for 20 minutes, kids of all ages will have fun on this adventure. Make it a tradition for years of almost free holiday fun! Even make it a weekly experience and repeat for every Friday night in December.
Have fun with it and ENJOY!
