Maddox's Masterpiece

Materials Needed:

-wood dowel

-wooden wheel

-green pipe cleaners

-sparkly pipe cleaners

-assortment of beads, jingle bells, etc.

Directions:

-Insert dowel into wooden wheel (I actually used hot glue to make sure it stayed put)

-Wrap green pipe cleaners around dowel...spread out pipe cleaners to make it look like a tree

-Make star out of sparkly pipe cleaner...I attached it using hot glue

-Allow your child to make ornaments (string beads and jingle bells on pipe cleaners) and add to tree...it's a lesson on balance...you have to make the sides weigh the same or the tree will topple over

-String single beads on tree....they look like lights...again a lesson on balance

Happy Crafting!!!!

~Heather

Thanksgiving treats

I'm excited to be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family. Even though we are just a family of 3, I still like to pull out some special treats for them! Here is a sneak peek of the desserts we will partake in after dinner. I baked them today, to get that extra mess out of the way and when they came out of the oven, we just had to nibble....they were SO yummy! I will definitely post more tomorrow, as I am trying out a new recipe for a Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon & Pineapple glaze! Happy Turkey day!

~Susan

Recipe for Butter Pecan Pumpkin Crisp

1-15 oz. can of pumpkin
1 c. of evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
*Mix all those together*

Additional ingredients needed:
1-Butter Pecan cake mix
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. butter (melted)

Pour that mixture into the bottom of your 9x13 pan. Pour your "Butter Pecan" cake mix evenly over the top. Sprinkle your pecans evenly over the top. Take your melted butter and pour over cake mix so that all areas are covered. Pop in the oven at 350 for 70 mins. or until golden brown.

Recipe adapted from www.rachelshultz.com

Recipe for Easy Apple Pie

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. baking powder
*Mix together*

Additional ingredients needed:
1 c. butter melted

Press the 1/2 of the crust mixture into the pie pan. Make sure it covers the bottom and goes up the sides. Add in the apples and sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar and a couple teaspoons of cinnamon over the top of the apples. Crumble the last 1/2 of the crust mixture on the top. Cook at 350 for 45 mins.

Recipe from www.yourhomebasedmom.com

We are going BATTY!!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted.  My husband got a new job so we relocated and are still in transition. Halloween is one of my favorites...I'm super sad that most of my decorations are still packed away in tubs at our old house.  To remedy this we started making our own Halloween decor.  My little guy LOVES bats so we made these flying bats out of egg cartons.  Cut the egg cartons apart to make the bat shape, paint each one black, let dry, add googly eyes and a string.  There you have it...a super cute, easy Halloween decoration!!!

~Heather

S'more Sticks

 What a fun project this was!  My little boy LOVED smashing the graham crackers and then sprinkling them on top.

Ingredients:
-marshmallows
-chocolate chips (we used half a bag for 10 pops)
-graham crackers
-sticks

Directions:
-Poke each marshmallow with a stick
-Melt chocolate in the microwave (20 second intervals)
-Dip marshmallow in chocolate and put somewhere upright to dry (put foam inside a pail)
-Crush graham crackers (my son did this in a sandwich bag) and sprinkle on top of chocolate before it hardens
-I let harden in the fridge before I put them in a bag and tied them with a ribbon

Enjoy!
~Heather

VOLCANOES!!!!

An activity that keeps my boys busy for hours (no joke) is volcano making with baking soda, food coloring and vinegar.  It's easy to do and so entertaining for them...the clean-up is totally worth it...trust me!

Materials Needed:
-vinegar dyed with food coloring (red is the favorite at our house)
-box of baking soda
-droppers (we use medicine syringes and the boys call them "squirters")
-bowl or pan to hold the baking soda

Directions:
-Pour the baking soda into a bowl or pan...my boys have me make hills so they look like real volcanoes
-Mix the vinegar and food coloring in small bowls....we do a few colors at a time
-Use the dropper to suck up vinegar and drip on the baking soda....instant volcano eruption

Have fun!

~Heather

Zucchini bread muffins

I love zucchini but after a few times of sautéing it, I have to try something new. I wasn't in the mood for bread but found this muffin recipe and thought I would try it out this morning.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
2 cups grated/chopped, unpeeled zucchini
3 tsp vanilla

Recipe:
Beat eggs, sugar, oil and spices. Add in flour & zucchini- mix. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. My recipe made 18-19 muffins.

There is a recipe for a cream cheese frosting. I didn't make it just because I wanted to save on some calories so instead I topped them with lite cool whip. However, I am freezing some of the muffins so I will make the frosting recipe in the future.

Frosting recipe:
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk

Stir until smooth and put on muffins.

I can't attest to the frosting yet but these muffins were delicious! Thank you mommyimhungry.blogspot.com for the recipe!

~Susan

Something healthy... Asparagus!

I really enjoy baking more than cooking. My hubby is such a 'meat and potatoes' kind of guy that I rarely try and branch out because most often he's not as impressed as I am. But, once in awhile I will bring out a good recipe that he really enjoys!

Italian marinated bacon wrapped Asparagus

Recipe:

1 bunch of fresh asparagus

1 bottle of italian salad dressing

1 package of bacon (any flavor)

Rinse your asparagus, then in a gallon zip lot bag place the asparagus spears and the entire bottle of italian dressing. Marinate in your fridge at least 1.5 hours. Once marinated, take your spears out in groups of 4-5, take a slice of bacon and wrap around the spears (I had extra bacon, so I wrapped 2 pieces around). Put in your oven on 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

These were delicious! Now if only I could get my toddler to enjoy asparagus like we do :)

~Susan

Our designer visors!

When I'm shopping, I'm always looking in the sale/clearance/dollar bins for fun things we can use for crafts..while visiting some of our family, I spotted these visors at Wal-Mart for $1/each and the package of glittery stars for $4.97. The older kids (meaning 2 1/2 yrs and up) had a BLAST decorating their visors and wore them out to play every day after that!

Supplies:
Foam Visors/Crowns/Tiaras (you can buy these at craft stores, retail stores etc.-typically under $1)
Package of self stick shapes/letters ($4-6)

~Susan

Smores Bites

We need to bring a dish/dessert to our annual neighborhood block party this weekend. I wanted something different yet fun for all ages. I found this recipe and had to do a test run before the event just to make sure they were what I wanted. My taste testers said they were "yummy", so I think they're a go....plus they were pretty simple to make with only 5 ingredients and short cook times!!

This is my 'test run' and I was a bit short on chocolate because we only had 2 bars instead of 4...I'm sure my next bunch will turn out even better with the addition of more!

Ingredients (24 cups):
1 pkg of graham crackers (7-8 crackers which is equivalent to one of the 3 pkgs you get in a full box)
4- 1.55 oz Hershey chocolate bars
12 regular size marshmallows OR about 96 mini marshmallows (4 per cup)
6 Tbsp. of butter
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Recipe:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Crush your graham crackers either using a food processor or in a large gallon zip loc bag. Melt your 6 Tbsp of butter in the microwave, add in your 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and your crushed graham crackers-stir. Using a 24 cup mini-muffin pan- coat the cups either with butter or non-stick cooking spray, then press the graham cracker mixture into each cup---COOK for 5 mins or until bubbly. Remove from oven. Break apart 2 of your Hershey bars and place 1 rectangular piece in each cup on top of the crust. Then, add marshmallows on top--if you are using reg. size ones- you should cut them in 1/2 with scissors and place them cut side down *put a little water on your scissor blade to alleviate sticking) if you use mini marshmallows I placed about 4 on top of each cup. Put your pan back in the oven for 1-2 mins. or until marshmallows are softened. Remove from oven and let cool for 15-20 mins. Once cooled, carefully remove each cup from pan (I used a small metal teaspoon to help) and place on a cooling rack. Break apart your let 2 Hershey bars and melt them in the microwave in 20 second intervals-stirring in between. Once melted, take cups one by one and dip the tops in the melted chocolate- then return to the cooling rack right side up for them to set.

Enjoy!

I can't wait to see how the neighbors like these and also use this in the winter when it's too cold to make smores outside!

~Susan

Colors of the Rainbow--melting crayons!

This can be done so many different ways depending on what colors and shapes you want. We had a regular, round mini muffin pan...here's how ours turned out!

Super simple and a great activity for enhancing your child's fine motor skills! It took a lot of work to peel off the wrappers on the crayons we ended up using :)

Supplies:
1-2 boxes of 24 ct. crayons
Muffin pan (any shape--hearts would be cute for Valentine's day!)

Heat your oven to 225 degrees and put them in for 15 mins. Let them cool completely before removing.

~Susan

White Chocolate Chex Mix

Ingredients:
1 bag of white chocolate chips
variety of nuts (our favorites are almonds, peanuts and cashews)
Chex cereal
pretzel sticks
M and M's

-Lay out all ingredients, except the white chocolate chips, on wax paper
-Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave stirring at 20 second intervals (usually melts within a minute or so in my microwave)
-Pour white chocolate over ingredients and mix around with your hands to ensure everything gets covered with yummy chocolate goodness
-Let dry on wax paper
-Once dry, break apart and enjoy

I LOVE this snack mix!!!  Feel free to omit or add your own ingredients...I also like to use holiday M & M's to be really festive!

~Heather

Guess How Much I Love You

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE organizing parties....especially parties that involve BABIES!!!!  I hosted a baby shower for my cousin a few weeks ago.  I focused some of the decor and favors around one of my favorites, Guess How Much I Love You.  The book served as a guestbook/advice column for a special "new mommy" keepsake.

~Heather

A Little Fun With Toothpicks and Marshmallows

My son LOVES to build things.  I'm always trying to find new ways to spark his creativity and encourage his love for construction....so marshmallow and toothpick building it is!  He had a blast!

~Heather

Ice cream cone cupcakes

These are great for those super hot day when a regular cone with ice cream would be a melting mess!

Supplies:
*Ice cream cones
*Funfetti cake mix
*Vanilla frosting with sprinkles
*Cupcake liners and cupcake pan

Directions....
Put cupcake liners in pan, make cake mix according to box directions, fill cupcake liners 2/3 the way full, take ice cream cones and place upside down inside the liner with mix (squish it in there :)...bake according to cupcake directions.

Take out of oven, let cool-then remove liners (gently), then frost, sprinkle & eat!

~Susan

Oreo Pops

Oreo Pops

I made these for my nephew's birthday party..the kids LOVED them! You can mix and match with all different kinds Oreos....chocolate, peanut butter, golden etc.

Recipe...
*Package of Oreos (any flavor)
*Chocolate melts (I bought mine at Michael's craft store by the cake supplies)
*Individual bags & ties (bought these at Michael's also)

*Press the stick through the middle of the Oreo into the cream (be careful-some will crack..if they do, use  a little extra cream from one Oreo to another to hold the stick in better)
*Then, melt your chocolate melts in the microwave (per pkg instructions)
*Drizzle chocolate over the Oreo and smooth with a spoon
*Sprinkle and stand upright (if you need to harden them quickly, put them in the freezer)
*Then put them in individual bags & twist tie

ENJOY!
~Susan

Snacktime-Oceans or Dirt Pudding

Yum, yum...OCEANS  or DIRT PUDDING  for snack!

Oceans:
*Vanilla pudding cups
*Blue food coloring
*Nilla wafers
*Swedish fish
*Clear cups or clear container
*Zip loc bag


*Put 3-4 Nilla wafers in a zip loc bag, crush & put on the bottom of the cup/container. Put a few drops of blue food coloring in the vanilla pudding cup, mix, then scoop on top of the crushed wafers. Lastly, sprinkle on some swedish fish and you are ready to go!

DIRT pudding recipe.....


*Oreo cookies
*Chocolate pudding cups
*Gummy worms/Gummy tarantulas


Follow the same instructions (minus the blue food coloring step as the Oceans snack above)...ENJOY!

Fingerpainting on the sidewalks!!

Now, you might want to make sure your husband or neighbors won't get mad or maybe that there is a thunderstorm rolling in so that it will quickly wash away :)


We did this the easy way and used the following supplies:


*Crayola washable fingerpaint (4 pk-$5)
*Makeup sponges & paintbrushes
*Containers for paint and some for water

**You can also make colored sidewalk chalk 'paint' which is equal parts cornstarch and water with the food color of your choice added to it**

All this takes is your hose with a sprayer to clean up!!

Have a fun time creating your work of art!
~Susan

Candy necklaces

Heather and I have both made these with our kids. There are so many options that you can do. I recently saw "movie night snack necklaces" that added yogurt/chocolate covered pretzels & plain pretzels. When I did this with my daughter & nephew, we ended up adding swedish fish and jumbo gummie bears to ours (if you want to do that, an adult must pierce them with scissors to easily feed them onto the necklace)

Supplies:
*Box of Fruit Loops
*Gummie Savers (multiple kinds)
*Peach gummies
*Swedish fish or Gummie bears
*Plastic twine or yarn

Happy Snacking!
~Susan & Heather

What fun with GAK!

Want an ooey gooey mess that the kids will just love to stretch, pound & pinch? Try this recipe for GAK!

Supplies needed:
*Elmers glue (8 oz.)
*Borax
*Food coloring

Directions:
*Mix 8 ozs. of glue with food color of your choice
*Slowly add 1 oz. of Borax with 1/2 cup warm water (pour a little of this mixture in at a time)
****Mix quickly****

Have fun playing!
~Susan

(Side note: don't mind the big blue mit...my poor nephew had a broken arm and couldn't get his cast wet or dirty)

Sandpaper Tshirts

This activity was incredibly fun and the kids were SO excited to see their finished products!

Supplies needed:

*White t'shirts

*A NEW box of crayons (they need to be very sharp)

*An 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of sandpaper (the finer the grade the easier to color on)

*1 piece of cardboard (roughly 8 1/2 x 11 size)

*Wax paper

Directions:

Step 1: Have your child/children color their picture on sandpaper (you must go over this at least twice)

Step 2: Insert your piece of cardboard under the front of the t'shirt

Step 3: Place your colored sandpaper (crayon side down) on top of the t'shirt and cardboard

Step 4: Place a piece of wax paper on the back of the sandpaper

Step 5: Use a HOT iron and iron over the wax paper for a 3-5 minutes, then slowly peel back the sandpaper

Step 6: Pop the t'shirt in the dryer for 20 mins

Have fun!

~Susan

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Baby Shower

The only thing better than a baby is a BABY SHOWER!!!!!  A few months back, I hosted a caterpillar baby shower for my co-teacher.  Our students LOVED it and some even brought their parents to join in the fun.  Below are some photos from our exciting day.

~Heather

Water Painting Fun

Supplies Needed:  Bucket of Water, Old Paintbrushes, Cement Slab or Wood Fence

Your child will have a blast painting water on the cement or fence over and over again.  The best part is it's mess free!

Happy Painting!
~Heather

Glow, Glow, Glow... A fun way to end the day!

If you are busy moms like us, you definitely look for fun, quick & easy activities to do with your kids. With a toddler at home, I want her to explore as much as possible so I'm always searching around for things that we can do together in the evenings. One of our recent favorites.... GLOW BATHTIME! This is SO easy and she had a blast with them! The great thing is, they were only $1 and we used them 4 nights in a row! After we were through with them, we put them in the freezer to save for the next night...

If you try it, definitely post a comment and let us know if your kids enjoyed it too!

Supplies needed:
*1 tube of 15 glow bracelets (you can find these at your local craft store, the Target/Walmart dollar bins or even online)

Happy glowing!

~Susan

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by our blog! As our intro says, we are a couple of moms who enjoy  crafts, projects with our kids and adding yummy goodness to the lives of our friends, family & coworkers. We hope that you can find something you can use or tweak to add a little "flair" into your life! We've got a couple events we are both hosting coming up so watch the blog for new posts soon!


~Heather & Susan