Muffin Tin Monday

Muffin Tin Monday is a weekly blog carnival, hosted by me, the Muffin Tin Mom every Monday, where we get together and link up posts about the muffin tin meals we make for our kids. Sometimes there is a theme, and sometime there isn't. For more info check out the MTM FAQ and scour past Muffin Tin Monday posts.

This week, there is no theme. :)

We had a rather wonderful lunch after the turkey day festivities. This kids were engrossed in watching a movie while eating their MTM.

Canteloupe, Chex mix, Carrots, Bananas, Cheese Circles and Chocolate Chips

They loved it so much, they had the same MTM 3 times over the holiday weekend! 

Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal for your kids this week? Won't you share it with us? Leave the URL to your blog post or photo in the forn below!
**Mr. Linky is having issues today, if you don't see the form, leave a somment with your link**

 

No Need For The Sunday Paper

Hello readers! Have I told you how thankful I am for you? I truly enjoy connecting with you and sharing with you only the "good stuff". How have you enjoyed the Thanksgiving weekend? I am spent from all the festivities. I braved the big bad world of "Black Friday" this year and scored some major savings! Each year I wonder why I get up so early. And each year I walk away so glad I made the sacrifice of sleep for savings. I am well rested today and ready to share some links with you!

My Little Gems: Sharla share an excellent tutorial on how to make burlap printed ornaments. A little bit country and a whole lot of cute (photo credit above: My Little Gems)

Chica and Jo: So many of you commented how you enjoyed the Thanksgiving Clothespin Wreath from Chica and Jo that I featured last week. Well, they have done it again with a  Clothespin Christmas Advent Calendar. I am thinking another trip to the dollar stor is in order for some clothespins.

Craftster: User Jessfun23, showcases her incredibly creative Scrabble tile coasters that just blow my mind and would make the perfect DIY gift for the holidays.

My Parents Were Awesome: Nostalgic photos of parents from all over the world, before they you know, had kids.

The Activity Mom: This simple kids activity-based Advent Calendar is wonderful. Plus, Nicole shares links to all the activities she will be doing as well as a free card template download! Seriously, she has done all the work for you. What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

Thrifty Decor Chick: I heart her and she hearts Christmas Mantels They are so inspiring...

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Scripture Sunday

In honor of Advent...

Isaiah 11:1-10

The Branch From Jesse

 ¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
       from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
 ² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
       the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
       the Spirit of counsel and of power,
       the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
 ³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
       He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
       or decide by what he hears with his ears;
 ⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
       with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
       He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
       with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
 ⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
       and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
 ⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
       the leopard will lie down with the goat,
       the calf and the lion and the yearling ^[a] together;
       and a little child will lead them.
 ⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
       their young will lie down together,
       and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
 ⁸ The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
       and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
 ⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
       on all my holy mountain,
       for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
       as the waters cover the sea.
 ¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

Photo Friday

I'm still in somewhat of a Turkey coma. So here is a little photo love to tide you over. The Muffin Tin Boy was having leg cramps from playing so hard and not getting enough water (bad Mommy) on Thanksgiving day. So, I gave him some TLC. Look how he has his arms up in that first photo. At one point he said "That's better Mommy".

Glad I could help you feel better little man.

Roasted Butternut Squash WIth Red Grapes, Sage, and Hazelnuts

In a rush and don't have time to search for the perfect side dish to that delicious Turkey? Then try this simple yet super tasty recipe for roasted butterneut squash. I attended a cooking class this past weekend where we learned how to make it (and taste it!). It's healthy and delicious and is sure to please your dinner guests.

Julie Frans of Dining Details has graciously allowed me to share this recipe with you.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Grapes, Sage and Hazelnuts

Ingredients:

• (1) 2 1/4 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, into 1 1/2 in. pieces
• 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes (about 8 ounces)
• 2-3 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed, and chopped

The most time consuming part will be peeling and chopping the squash and prepping the hazelnuts. I think the hazelnuts are worth the effort and give this recipe a complexity that tastes amazing.

Preparation

• Preheat Oven to 425 degrees F
• Combine butternut squash, grapes and onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil.
• Season genrously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
• Spread out onto large rimmed baking sheet
• Roast until squash begin to soften, stirring occasionally, approx. 30 minutes
• Brown butter in skillet, add sage, then add sliced shallots and saute for 1 minute.
• Toss butter sag shallot mixture with butternut squash mixture
• Add hazelnuts
• Roast another 10 minutes
• Transfer to platter and serve (serves 8 people)

Julie Frans is the master chef behind Dining Details, a personal chef service in El Cajon, CA. I recently had the opportunity to take a cooking class from Julie. What a delightfully inspiring experience! Julie shares her extensive knowledge and experience of the kitchen with confidence and ease. When I left I walked away with not only pages of new recipes, but how to make a meal organic, healthy and delicious.

Thanks Julie!

Say Thank You With Photos

 

Show your gratitude this holiday season with photos! Photo Thank You Cards are fun and easy to make. Before you know it, you will have a personal and creative thank you card ready for that special occasion. You’ll need a few things to get this simple project completed.

• Magnetic Alphabet Letters
• Digital Camera
• Photo Printer
• Cardstock in color of your choice
• Glue stick (acid free) or photo corners

I happen to have been blessed with a photo printer thanks to the fine folks at HP. So this project was that much easier because I was able to print the photos at home. (If you don’t have a photo printer at home, then have them printed via your local 1 hour print shop. Many grocery stores have photo printing services available, so you can pick up your print when you are shopping.)

• Arrange the magnetic letters to spell the words “Thank You”.
• Photograph the words in good light near a window. Try not to use your flash
• Print out the image on 4x6 photo paper, set aside
• Cut  cardstock to 6 1/2 by 9
• Fold cardstock in half to make a 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 folded card.
• Adhere “Thank You” photo to front of card using photo corners or adhesive.
• If cardstock is dark in color, think about lining the inside with a piece of white cardstock sized 4 x 6.

***I am including the “thank you” images in this post, so that you may use them if you wish. I put a creative commons liscense on them, so if you use them in a blog post, just attribute back to me. So, if you don’t have alphabet letters, you can just use mine!

***Click on the photos to be taken to the image in my flickr photstream.

This idea would work great for other occasions like birthdays and get well cards.

Alternate Uses for Craft Beads

Today I am contributing over at Blissfully Domestic sharing several ideas for using craft beads for learning and play. These colorful little doo-dads are capable of providing endless amounts of fun!
*Link has been fixed. :)

How To Make Apple Gumdrop Turkeys

In case you missed it, I am contributing over at the brand new re-launched San Diego Bargain Mama today with a tutorial on how to craft these adorable little apple gumdrop turkeys !

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Thanksgiving

Welcome to the Thanksgiving 09 Edition of Muffin Tin Monday!  We had so much fun this week! How about you? I made it a Pilgrims and Native American themed tin. We had "turkey dinner" for dessert! If you are not familiar with Muffin Tin Monday, then go check out the Muffin Tin Monday FAQ.

From the Bottom Left:

 Ice Cream Mashed Potatoes

Pilgrim Ship (filled with "fish" for the feast).

Cornucopia O' Carrot Sticks

Corn Nibblets a.ka. Starburst pieces

Pretzel Tee Pee (held up with frosting)

Apple Gumdrop Turkey

**To learn how to make that adorable Apple GumDrop Turkey, head over to San Diego Bargain Mama, where I am guest posting. San Diego Bargain Mama is relaunching their site! They feature money and time saving deals local to San Diego residents as well as those passing through. So check it out! I am one of 8 columnists that posts monthly on getting "the best for less."

I was pretty thrilled to suprise my kids with this week's Muffin Tin Treat. They delighted in each cup, my daughter practically squeeled when she realized the corn was candy!

Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal this week? Won't you share it with us? Be sure to leave the URL of your post or photo from a  photo sharing site in the form below.

No Need For The Sunday Paper

It's almost that time...Thanksgiving. It's such a great holiday. Unlike Christmas, I tend to relax more at Thanksgiving. And I am looking forward to it. How about you?

While you are contemplating that, feel free to grab a cup o' joe and browse this week's links.

Looking to DIY a child's apron for less? Then look to this adorable potholder/tea towel apron combo from Dollar Store Crafts. So, so, so stinkin' cute. ACK!

High Fructose Craft: I just spilled water everywhere this weekend while trying to refill my iron. Wish I had seen this tutorial for altering an old dish soap bottle. Would have saved me a lot of mess!

I absolutely positively want to make one of these clothespin thankful wreaths from Chica and Jo (photo above via Chica and Jo). Interesting to look at and lovely to put together. It actually brough tears to my eyes to read some of the comments. (found via The Crafty Crow)

I made Cranberry Stuffing Muffins last year for Turkey day. They were dee-lish. May have to make those again this year, that and my mom's awesome Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe. Stay tuned also this week for Thanksgiving themed Muffin Tin Monday and some other fun and crafty stuff.

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Scripture For Sunday

From the Book of Psalms in the Bible:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

Make A Tea Light Votive Holder From An Old Drinking Glass

I took the tutorial for the kid's handmade tea light votive I posted last week and made a grown-up version. I used stickers the create the lettering. Painted over the whole thing, peeled off the stickers, let it dry and slathered on some Mod Podge.

Came out well I think... :)

Peace Love Mom Tee Shirt Review

Recently, PeaceLoveMom sent me a Tee to review. I knew, from the moment I browsed their site, that I was going to love their products. Their tag line is "A Celebration of Motherhood". They carry tees and thermals for moms and kids as well as other products like hats and totes.

Their tees are emblazened with slogans that champion all mothers: Lucky Mom, Happy Mom, Grateful Mom, Timeless Mom, and of course, Peace Love Mom. It's a company run by moms for moms.

I was so excited to recieve my Lucky Mom Tee in the mail. It's pumpkin in color and made of 100% soft jersey cotton.

From PeaceLoveMom:  V neck T-shirt, 100% soft cotton jersey, vintage in feel, modern in style, tapered waist and longer length, expect 5% shrinkage.

After several washes, it has maintained it's shape and the fabric feels just as soft as the day I recieved it. I love the tapered waist and longer length of it. And it's thinner fabric, which I like, but it's held up so far! And I love to wear it around my kids. They always tell me what it says and then ask me why I'm wearing it. I tell them, it's because I am a lucky mom to have two such wonderful kids.

I was a little worried about the sizing. I am a size #$%&* and I know how some tees can be. They say size 8, but it turns out to fit like a 4. Well, I ordered the XL (12 by their standards) and it fits great. It's a tad snug, but it shapes me nice, without being "oh my word" too tight.

Another thing I am concerned over is the price of the tees. At $40, it's hard to justify purchasing these uber cool tees for myself. I would, however, buy them as a gift or ask for one for my Birthday or Christmas. They would make a great gift for the upcoming Holidays. PeaceLoveMom also has a wonderful discounted section of their site called "FabuLESS Mom Finds", where they offer a selection of tees at a great discount, so you can still look fabulous for less!

Looking for a gift this Christmas for a mom in your life or are you looking for an item to put on your wishlist? PeaceLoveMom is a great company with great products for moms! To find out more, visit their site at http://www.peacelovemom.com/ and while your there, be sure to watch the video from CNN.

*PeaceLoveMom sent me one tee-shirt to review on this blog. I was not compensated any other way, other than to recieve the product to review.

What Makes You Feel Beautiful? Thoughts On Self Image.

You know that moment I'm talking about, right? That moment when all is right with the world, when your cares and burdens aren't weighing you down. You look in the mirror and see the awesome woman you are, not the one you think you'll never measure up to. You are gorgeous and alive and you feel it. When is that moment for you and what gets you there?

I'll be honest an tell you that I struggle with self image. Because of the kind of cancer I had 3 years ago, it has left me a post-menopausal mess and I'm only 32! I can't take hormones. I can't eat foods that will even simulate the production of hormones. That has caused me to gain some weight. And I have kind of lost my mojo a little bit in recent months.

But, the more I am disheartened about the current state of my body, the more I have come to realize that it's not about how much I weigh, or don't weigh. It's not about how other's see me or some unrealistic image I have in my head about what I should look like. It's about how God sees me. That's what makes me feel the most beautiful, the most loved.

Sure, a makover with perfect style, a la What Not To Wear, would surely cure the outside. It would make me feel beautiful to have that done It might even give me a needed boost of confidence. After all, the right fitting clothes can tranform a person's body. But, for me, the inside is what I am getting at.

There is a children's story put together by the makers of the Veggie Tales called A Snoodles Tale. It tells the story of a little "Snoodle" and how all the other Snoodles in Snoodleberg told him he wasn't good enough, talented enough, and he could never do anything right. The litte Snoodle believed what the others told him. Until the little Snoodle met The Tower Maker of Snoodleberg. The Tower Maker showed the little snoodle how He saw him - beautiful and perfect. And The Snoodle finally understood. Sometimes I feel like that Snoodle.

I want my beauty to radiate from the inside out. I want to be transformed inside so much, that the outside beauty is never an issue. That I'll want to take care of myself because God has taken care of me -He's told me I'm beautiful and perfect. I confess, I struggle with this issue.  What about you?

*photo credit: gullevek

Prayers For Anissa

I went to write my post yesterday and was blown away by the news that a fellow blogger had suffered a stroke and is in the ICU. I am in such shock, still, over this news. When you follow someone's blog and you see their heart, passion, and indellible humor poured out every day, you never imagine these spirited souls won't be there the next day. She is the mother of sweet Peyton, who herself has battled and survived cancer as a toddler. She is the blogger behind Free Anissa, Hope4Peyton, and the head of the humorous Aiming Low. Aiming Low is experiencing an incredible amount of traffic and is going in and out, so I have included others links below on how you can help, if you so wish.

Anissa needs our prayers right now. I don't know very much other than the fact that she is still in the ICU and that there are several posts on how you can help this wife and mother.

5 Minutes For Mom: Prayers For Anissa

The Wink: Hope For Anissa

The Spohrs Are Multiplying: Help 4 Anissa (Check her for an update)

If you use Twitter and want to follow her journey, the family twitter account is @aiminglow and the hashtag ( how to easily follow news about/for Anissa is #prayersforanissa.

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Foods Your Child Is Thankful For

I knew it would happen one of these weeks. I would make a Muffin Tin Meal and completely forget to take a photo of it for Muffin Tin Monday. Well, this is that week.  Made the whole thing, thought I had taken the photo, went to download it, and I was utterly dismayed to find I didn't even take one! I guess I was just too excited from all the hoopla on Sunday. I was completely distracted. More on that later.

I always aim to get my post up on Mondays by 12am. And I want everyone, including those on the East Coast, to have time to link up. Can you beleive I used to manually go and retrieve everyone's photos and links from their blog. Mr. Linky has really lightened the load! All of that to say that, instead of posting a current MTM (I will get one in later today), I am featuring photos of past favorite MTM's that the kids and I have done. We have been doing it for over a year now, so there are quite a few to choose from. And it kind of fits in the general sense that we are soooo thankful for Muffin Tin Monday. It has become a family tradition and super fun way to spend our meal times together.

So here they are:

We love Muffin Cups!

We love Skewers and Kebabs!

Kids pick: Monkey Bites and Frosting Fishing (below):

What did you make for Muffin Tin Monday? Share the URL of your blog post or photo in the form below!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

There's no need for the Sunday paper when you have these links!

Miss Dot's Cupcake Spot: Miss Dot show you how to make your own cookie cutters! SO ingenious. It's a lot simpler than it sounds.

Creative Jewish Mom: Wonderfully creative and intriguing tutorial on how to make coasters from plastic bags (photo above via CJM).

The folks over at Common Craft put together a nifty little video explaining social media in plain English. They use ice cream. go figure.

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Scripture For Sunday

Isaiah 45

The Lord goes before me, behind me, and along side me. He hedges me in and protects me.

(Not Scripture)

Store Bought Crafts Are Not The Enemy

 

 

I think store bought crafts get a bad rap. All over the crafty blogosphere, there are blogs dedicated to delightful eye-popping handmade goodness. And rightly so. I think handmade crafts are wonderful!

However, on occasion, I think store bought crafts and kits like paint your own pottery and pearler bead kits can be a great break from the think-it-up-from-scratch craft variety.

We recently got a hold of a pearler bead kit (thanks Grandma!) and had a wonderful time as a family creating little pearler bead pieces of goodness. Even The Muffin Tin Dad joined in on the fun! The Muffin Tin Kids were so proud of their masterpieces.

Look!

Weekends are the perfect time to grab a craft kit from Walmart, Target or your local Michaels and Hobby Lobby. There are a wide variety of kits for all interests, skill levels, and price points. So, what are you waitng for? Spend time today together today as a family creating something. And take the stress off you by purchasing a premade kit!

(Disclaimer: Pearler bead kits and other kits with small pieces are not meant for children under 3. Please be careful!)

Muffin Tin Monday - Upcoming Themes and Info

Muffin Tin Monday is one of my favorite parts of our week! The Muffin Tin Kids love to have their food served in a muffin tin! Our blog carnival is still going strong and I am loving all the fun MTM's you are sharing.
 And thank you so much for your theme suggestions!  I was a little slow in getting this week's theme decided, so it's up to you if you want to do the theme or choose your own! I also thought over the holiday season we would try something. There seems to be a lot mommies who have loved doing muffin tins around the holidays, so I thought I would give you mamas plenty of opportunity over the next several weeks to participate in holday themes. Thant's right- 6 out of the next 7 weeks will be themed!! I'm looking forward to all of December being holiday related. woo-hoo! So start brainstorming now on ideas!

• 11/16/09 - Foods Your Child is Thankful For/Choose Your Own.
• 11/23/09 - Thanksgiving/Pilgrims/Native American,etc.
• 11/30/09 - No Theme
• 12/7/09 - Christmas Morning (aka Breakfast)
• 12/14/09 - Christmas Stories/Books
• 12/21/09 - Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza
• 12/28/09 - New Year's/Party Theme

When the new year hits we will be getting back to non-holiday related themes and we will be recycling some (like ABC's, Colors, etc.) and adding new ones!

Have an idea for a theme? Email me at vistamommy(at)yahoo(dot)com

HP Creative Studio

For a few weeks now, I have been participating in the HP Virtual Focus Group, where I have been comparing the HP C6380 and the Kodak ESP7 (y'know the one from the infomercial). While playing around with the features of both printers, I recieved an email from HP highlighting the HP Crative Studio. You can print your own Christmas photo cards, learning activities for your kids and much more! The following video is me chatting about some of the projects I love and how I am really enjoying it. I was going to edit the video for you, but I thought the last little bit was pretty funny and so very me.

Here are the recipe cards I made yesterday with the HP Creative Studio. You can upload a photo of the dish, or a photo of you and your family. Such a great idea!

What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

"Time to Escape"Giveaway Featuring Jumpstart For The Wii: Escape to Adventure Island

The folks over at Jumpstart are having a giveaway at the Jumpstart Blog to show appreciation to their fans and get the word out about the new title: Escape From Adventure Island. I have written about Jumpstart before, how much our family enjoys not only their online virtual world, but the Jumpstart games for the Wii. Recently, my family and I were given a copy of Escape From Adventure Island to Review and I thought I would share a few gems with you. As before, my review will be centered around Ease of Use, Educational Content, and The Fun Factor.

Ease of Use: This particular title is geared for ages 5-9 years and rated "E" for Everyone. That being said, The Muffin Tin Girl who is on the younger side of the age range was able to navigate the game. I needed to show her the buttons to push on the Wii to get her going at first, but once she knew what to do, she was able to have fun on her own! The Muffin Tin Boy who is four, had a more difficult time with the game navigation, but not the beginning content.

Educational Content: Escape From Adventure Island includes 150 math, reading, and critical thinking games for your child to play! Seriously, 150! We have only  tapped into 5-6 thus far! It is Jumpstart's standard practice to make their games not only fun, but educational as well. It's one of the reasons I support them. Just a reminder that it is a game for 5-9 year olds, so if you have a preschooler you might want to read my review of Jumpstart's Pet Rescue

Fun Factor: The Muffin Tin Girl could play Jumpstart (and the Wii too) for hours, I think. She never tires of earning points to use towards rewards. As with previous titles, Jumpstart lets each player create their own "Jumpee", a personalized  virtual game player, where your child can change them up any which way they want. What my son has come to love is that there are many "secret" tricks you can do with your Jumpee to get them places. He once spent about 15 minutes perfecting a jump into a waterfall that he thought was so cool! And as always, I love that they are learning and having fun at the same time.

NOW YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN SEVERAL PRIZES FROM THE PEOPLE AT JUMPSTART! PLEASE VISIT THE JUMPSTART BLOG TO ENTER TO WIN ONE OF THE PRIZES BELOW!

Contest Details From Jumpstart:

•The contest will end on 11/16/09.
•Each person will be allowed two entries into the contest (details on contest page)
The theme of the Jumpstart contest is “Time to Escape!”


We want to hear how your family uses imagination to escape the everyday and turn life into an adventure! Tell us your story for a chance to win.

Check Out These Incredible Prizes!

•50 winners will receive a copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
•3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS will receive a family Escape Pack (over $1000 value)!
•1 Nintendo Wii Console
•1 copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
•$250 in spa gift certificates
•1 JumpStart branded flip camera
•3 lifetime JumpStart memberships (1 for winner, 2 to share)
•500 virtual coins for JumpStart.com
•4 JumpStart pirate hats & 4 JumpStart kids T-shirts

DO NOT COMMENT HERE, BUT GO TO THE JUMPSTART BLOG TO ENTER!!

Seriously people, their giving away a Wii!!!

Kid Craft: Make A Votive Candle Holder Using Acryllic Paint And An Old Drinking Glass

Do you have an old drinking glass laying around? Turn it into a votive holder with acryllic craft paint, Mod podge, and a tea light. They would make a perfect hand made Christmas gift for friends and family! Don't have an old drinking glass? Shop around at local thrift stores -they have tons for around fifty cents!

 

To begin, set up your space for the project. Wash and dry the drinking glass. Cover your work surface with newspaper, a vinyl tablecloth, or some other protection.

You'll also need:

• 
  
  acryllic craft paints, they come in a variety of colors
  
  
  
• 
  
  small paint brush
  
  
  
• 
  
  water for rinsing
  
  
  
• 
  
  the object you are painting
  
  
  
• 
  
  Mod Podge (or other glue-like sealer),
  
  
  
• 
  
  and a paint smock for the kids is probably a good idea
  
  
  

 For very small children 2-3 years, may I recommend using 1-2 different colors. This will cut down on the amount of prep as well as the mess. The Muffin Tin Kids are 4 and 5, and they did well with a wider variety of colors.

Next, allow them to paint the drinking glass how ever their little heart desires. Encorage them to go lightly on the paint, but don't stress too much. The thinner the coast of paint, the more light will be able to shine through.

Once they have finsihed painting, allow it to dry for several minutes, even an hour. I wrote their names and the date in sharpie on the bottom, as well. Lastly, paint a think coat of Mod Podge (that's the brand name of sealer) over the entire outside of the glass.

The coat of sealer will take longer to dry and "cure". I recommend setting it on a sheet of wax paper to dry for several hours. And as you see in the photo above, I stuck my hand in the center of the glass, so as not to touch the outside.

Tip: If your child gets frustrated and wants to start over, no worries. Acryllic paint washes off glass very easily. They can start right over!

Place a tea light inside and keep it or give it away to a friend or loved one.

(Do you see the girl with orange hair The Muffin Tin Girl drew? So sweet!)

Muffin Tin Monday

It's that time again. The time when we bring happiness and smiles back to Mondays with a little thing called Muffin Tin Monday. It's the weekly blog gathering where moms, dads, and caregivers alike are serving up a meal in a  muffin tin to kids all over to world and coming here to share the love with photos. If you are new here, we often refer to Muffin Tin Monday and Muffin Tin Meals as MTM's. It's a lot easier to type. :) If you are new to the idea, check out the MTM FAQ and past MTM posts. Sometimes there is a theme for the week, sometimes there isn't. Check my sidebar for that info.

Speaking of themes, there isn't one for this week. That means you can serve whatever you want: Create your own theme or serve up a Schmorgasbord of items. nnt

Our Muffin Tin Meal for this week is Breakfast Themed! I have been wanting to do one again for awhile, and this week tuened out to be the perfect opportunity.

I served up the kids MTM in a 12 cup tin this week. I made sharing easier by designating a colored liner for each child. They loved this and it was incentive for them to eat up thier goodies.

Here's what we had: Waffle sticks and syrup (cut up Eggo's), orange slices, slice of pumpkin bread, and tortilla toast roll ups.

One of the things I love about non-themed MTM's is that I can take very little food and spread it around to both kids. That's one orange divided, one pumpkin bread slice divided, etc. Works great for when you might have just alittle of something left over in the fridge!

A lot of you have submitted theme ideas! Thank you so much! I will be updating the theme list on my sidebar today, so check back to fins out what upcoming themes are.

Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal this week? Did you take a photo or blog about it? Then, enter the URL in the form below. I can' wait to see what everyone has made!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

Spreading link love around the blogosphere is one of my favorite things to do. I love being able to share "good stuff" with you. And who needs that pesky Sunday Paper when you have links like these. Feel free to click on the No Need For The Sunday Paper tag under this post to see more fabulous weekly link posts. There are a whopping 61 NNFSP posts. woo-hoo!

Photojojo: How to make a perpetual photo calender. Very clever. Very doable. Very Awesome.

Blissfully Domestic: What to do with leftover Halloween Candy...Sarah shares a great idea. Click over and check it out.

Epicute: The Cute Food Blog - Found via Edible Crafts featured The. Most. Adorable. Cupcake in a cup. Edible crafts and Epicute are my new faves. Full of creative eye candy for baking foodies.

And speaking of cuteness, check out Bake It Pretty for some adorable polka dot baking/muffin cups (Special thanks to Amanda of Funny Days With Mommy and Maddie for sending me the link via email)

Alpha Mom: Marie shares a charming and oh so creative way to spruce up your Thanksgiving tablescape with Recycled napkin rings

Julie Adore Dimanche shows you how to make itty bitty houses out of recycled yogurt containers  (photo above). Found via The Crafty Crow

So, sit back with your cup o' "wake up" and enjoy the links.

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No Scripture this Sunday. Instead, may I suggest talking to God through prayer?

Vlog: The Mom Behind The Blog

Just want to show you the "mom" behind the blog" in a short litte vlog. I'm going to start vlogging more now I think. It's kind of fun! (I was given a super sweet webcam by Logitech to show you how great it is).

HP C6380 vs. Kodak ESP 7 (Part 2 & 3)

Maybe if I had never laid eyes on the HP, and just had to go on what Kodak was offering I might not see the difference in color in the following photos. But, friends, the camera doesn't lie and in this case it is all too clear to me that the HP Photosmart C6380 is winning in my side by side comparison.



The photo on the left is from the HP, the photo on the righ is from Kodak. Printed on each manufacturer's recommended photo paper brand (their own). As you can see, he HP's coloring is truer and more realistic. While the Kodak photo seems a little washed out.

I printed out some thank you cards (via Living Locurto) for the Muffin Tin Girl's teacher. Can you guess which is which?



The one on the left is the HP and the one on the right is Kodak. I keep waiting for Kodak's ink to change. For it to get better. I followed all the "recommended" instructions if you feel the printer is not producing quality prints. Didn't help. I Still get faded color documents and washed out photos.

Kodak did happen to save face a little when I printed out this super sweet photo collage via HP's Creative Studio. This time, the HP print is on the right. You can barely tell the difference. However, you will note that I used mostly blues in these photos. I did this on purpose. I wanted to see if certain colors were not printing well. It looks (to me) like the blues print well and the reds and greens are the colors that show the biggest differnce in the print quality.


Stay tuned....Coming up in my comparison, I 'll show you via vlog how I print wirelessly and do a test on how fast each printer prints their photos.

What's Your Idea Of A Break?

I have a confession to make...

Sometimes I need a break.

Sometimes, I am so tired, I need a good strong cup of coffee to function in the morning (erm, afternoon.)
Sometimes, my kids are too wired...too hyped...too silly...And I need to be as far away from them as humanly possible.
Sometimes, I just want 5 minutes peace.

Sometimes I need a break.

So I want to know...What's your idea of a break?

• A bath without incessant knocking at the bathroom door
• A quiet moment, late a night with your spouse and a good movie
• A cup of Starbucks coffee AT Starbucks
• A an hour of blog reading
• A stroll through the grocery store

Leave me a comment and tell me what you would do with a few minutes or hours of

peace.
and.
quiet.

Photo via Corie Howell

DIY Memory Match Up Game Using A Mini Calendar

I am always on the lookout for inexpensive ways to bring learning into our home. And if I can make learning fun, all the better! That’s why, when I found these kitten calendars in the dollar bin at Michael’s, I knew just what to do with them: Make a memory game! Playing a game of memory is a fantastic and simple way to teach young children beginning principles in object permanence, vocabulary, and exercises their, well…memory.

I purchased two 5 3/4 x 5 1/4 calendars…Separated the pages of both and paired them up.

I cut 12 x 12 scrapbook paper into 6 x 5 1/2 inches to cover the backs. I mounted each page on to scrap paper (construction paper will do).

Then we played a kitten themed game of memory. The Muffin Tin Kids loved it! And really, who doesn’t love kittens?

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Outer Space

This week's theme for Muffin Tin Monday is Outer Space. I realize now that to put a theme on the day after halloween may not have been the best idea! Well, you'll have all week to submit your entries, if you want to participate...I'll keep it short and sweet this week:




We made a simple meal in a star shaped silicone muffin "tin":


Dried fruit bites a.k.a "Astronaut food"
Popcorn "meteors"
UFO (flattened silver muffin cups filled with salami)
Star shaped cheese
Popcorn "meteors"
Apple "Saturn Rings"

What did you make for Muffin Tin Monday? Share it with us by leaving the link to to your blog post or photo below.

No Need For The Sunday Paper

Happy November! The time change has got me all in a funk this morning. What about you?

Hope you enjoy today's link fest!

San Diego Examiner.com: Shara shares her experience with living with a prostetic leg and how she taught her children about her disability.

The Secret Is In The Sauce: How to link effectively. Stop using "click here"! Phat Mommy tells you how.

Sugar In The Raw: Her perspective on kids and telling them about sex.

Ohdeedoh.com: Some serious decor eye candy for kids rooms: Danish homes and bright open spaces

photo by Sam LLic Photography

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Scripture For Sunday

Romans 8:1-4

¹Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

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As a Christian, Christ will never condemn me. I might condemn myself mentally with my attitude, perspective, and lack of trust-but Christ will never do that.