I saw these cake batter brownies on Pinterest and knew they'd be a perfect Easter treat. Plus, the caption stated, "All the pinners said they're to die for." I made a special trip to the store just for the ingredients so Tottie and I could make them. Tottie was so excited and couldn't wait! She put on her apron and chef hat and we got to work... We followed the directions on how to make these delicious treats and began to mix...(please note that these are not the original directions we followed. As of 5/15/14 the original link does not work. The recipe is essentially the same) I started wondering why the batter was a sticky, marshmallow fluff consistency and became a bit skeptical of it. My skepticism turned out to be correct because after I got the brownies in the oven and they were half-way done, I realized I forgot the milk! (Ugh, Lindsi and I have been having a really hard time following directions in our Pinned it, Did it! posts lately.) I'm pretty sure that little … [Read more...]
FRUCHI™ Smoothies
Our families love smoothies. Lindsi quite frequently makes them for her kids, and it's a super big treat when Hubby and I take the girls to our local smoothie store. Needless to say, when FRUCHI™ Smoothies contacted us to do a review for them, we jumped all over it!Our smoothies arrived super cold in a dry ice packed cooler. Remember early science? Yeah, don't touch the dry ice with your hands (Jamie--don't worry, I only touched it with one finger then quickly remembered. I didn't cause myself any injury)! And...if something is packed in dry ice, it's probably just as cold as the ice (Lindsi--Yeah, I probably should have worn something on my hands when I removed the smoothies too). OK, moving on...Jamie--My entire family was excited about these smoothies and they couldn't wait to eat them. If I would have read the package, I would have realized that you could thaw them in the microwave for a few seconds. Unfortunately, I made my family wait a few hours to try them while they … [Read more...]
Easy DIY Fairy/Gnome Garden
My girls and I planted a Gnome Garden a few weeks ago. They got it as a kit for Christmas. They are having so much fun watching it grow (as are Hubby and I!). Though ours came as a kit, it would be super to make one on your own with your kids.You'll need:a large terra cotta pot base soilgrass seeda few bean seedsrockspainta small housea small gnome (optional)other decorations you wantEverything you need (except the seeds) you should be able to find at your local craft store. The rocks you can find outside. 1) Paint the pot base and rocks and/or other decorations you have and let dry.2) Fill the pot base 1/2 way with the soil3) Plant the seeds mostly around the edges, leaving yourself some open space for decorations in the middle4) Fill with the rest of the soil and decorate your garden as you want5) Water and watch grow!Our seeds were pretty fast growing so after 2 days we already saw sprouts! My girls were ecstatic!Have you ever planted a fairy or gnome garden with your … [Read more...]
See Through Easter Egg Window Decorations
If you've been reading our blog long enough you know that we love to make crafts out of contact paper. We also love to make window decorations for holidays. See Through Easter Eggs combine the best of both!They are fun and easy to make too. The only things you'll need are contact paper and things to decorate your eggs with such as glitter, paper, ribbon, and foam shapes (or really anything else you think might work).If your kids want to make a framed Easter egg, help them to cut an egg shape out of paper. Fold it in half and cut out most of the middle to make a frame. Put the frame on the sticky side of a piece of contact paper then decorate the inside of the frame.If your kids want a frame-less Easter egg, help them to cut an egg shape out of paper. Lay a piece of contact paper sticky side up on top of the paper egg. Decorate the sticky side of the contact paper only where the egg is under it.Once the eggs are decorated, put another piece of contact paper, sticky side down (or … [Read more...]
Tuesday Morning Grand Re-Opening!
Have you heard of the store Tuesday Morning? To be honest, until this past week, I had heard the name but didn't know much about it and I had never been to one. I am now a HUGE fan! All photos in this post were taken at the Woodbury, MN store.I was asked (as a Blogger in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota) if I would help promote the Grand Re-Openings of the Woodbury and Burnsville stores. I almost declined the offer because I didn't think it would be a fit for our blog. Boy am I glad I did some research and changed my mind! Tuesday Morning is a national closeout retailer that has been in business since 1974. They have 840 stores nationwide and 9 stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I had a chance to shop at the newly revamped Woodbury store.Don't be fooled by the concrete floors and industrial shelving, they've got some nice stuff at Tuesday Morning! They've got everything you can think of too, from kitchen stuff to decor, to craft stuff, toys, furniture, clothes, and … [Read more...]
Easter Fun With Carrots and Dip
Need a fun way to encourage your kids to eat their veggies? This cute presentation is sure to spark their interest! Tottie couldn't wait to eat her carrots and dip after I showed her these potted cuties. To make your own you'll need:Mini terracotta potsBaby carrotsParsleyVeggie dipMedicine cupsToothpicksScissorsStart by filling your medicine cups with your veggie dip. Put your medicine cups in the terracotta pots. Use a toothpick to poke a hole in the top of each carrot then insert a small piece of parsley into that hole. Last, you'll "plant" your carrots in the dip. If you've filled your medicine cups high enough the dip will spill over the edges when you plant your carrots. The spilled dip helps to hide the cups.Watch your kids enjoy eating their veggies! … [Read more...]
