a little about A LOT

I heart Auntie {Iron On Transfer} Shirt

2014-05-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Did all of you hear about the fires in San Diego last week? Well, in case you didn't, let me fill you in...

There was 8 different fires throughout the county, over 30 homes were destroyed and 26,500+ acres burned. It was scary, it felt like the whole county was on fire. Between Santa Ana winds and 100+ degree temps, the firefighters had an uphill battle.

The first fire started last Tuesday, I was glued to the tv. I've lived in San Diego for 13 years and we've had 2 terrible fires {2003 and 2007} and I remember how quickly they got out of control. The neighborhood a few miles away from us was evacuated and I was so worried that we might be next. Luckily the amazing firefighters got the flames under control and all evacuations were lifted... until the next day.

On Wednesday there was 5-6 more fires, this time houses were burning, thousands of people were being evacuated and it was just getting hotter and hotter. Fires were popping up all over the county and they believe some of them were set deliberately. Our amazing firefighters & military worked 24/7 putting out and containing the flames and thanks to them, all evacuations were lifted by Sunday morning. As of today, all but 1 fire is 100% contained and the last one is over 95% contained, which is such a relief.

Now, that was enough to stress anyone out, but on top of that, my hubby & I had a {kid-free} trip to Seattle planned and we were flying out Thursday. I was so freaked out about leaving my kids behind during a fire storm. What if the winds changed direction? What if they got evacuated? Would they be safe?? ahhh!!!! My head was spinning.... After consulting my hubby, friends and family, they all convinced me that WE NEEDED TO GO and that the kids will be fine! They were in the safe hands of grandmothers and we had great friends near by to help with evacuations {if needed}.

So we went and had a fabulous time, {although, I did manage to check news reports about every hour or so....} Needless to say, no blogging got done before or during the trip.

So here it is, a week later, a lot cooler {only a high of 75 today!} and I've got a lot of great things to share, starting with this Easy Iron On Transfer Tutorial. I made these shirts for my sister and she loved them!

First I created the design on my Silhouette Cameo

Make sure to MIRROR the image, so it's backwards!

I cut the image from my Silhouette and then weeded out the parts I didn't want transferred.

Next I placed the design on the bottonm right corner of the shirt.

Next I ironed the image onto my shirt. Be careful not to move the iron from side to side, instead press the iron down, lift up, move to next spot and press it down again.

This happened to mine when I "ironed" instead of "pressed"

**Make sure to read the instructions for your specific heat transfer material**

However, the final product looked really cute and it just added a little something extra to a simple sleep shirt. :)

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Personalized Picture Frames {with vinyl}

2014-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Did you all have a great Mother's Day?? I hope all of you spoiled your mom {or got spoiled yourself}!!

I had a fantastic Mother's Day. My kids SLEPT IN until after 9am!!!! We actually woke up before them {I still can't believe it}. They are usually up before 7am, but not yesterday. My hubby woke up, kissed me and said, "This was your first mother's day present - sleeping in - I arranged it with the girls last night" hahahahahaha, he's so funny. I wish it was actually possible for him to convince our 2 & 3 yr old to sleep in....

The rest of they day was relaxing, delightful and filled with love. My munchkins {with the help of my hubby} made me an herb garden for my kitchen window. I just love it! Gifts made with LOVE are so special and better than anything they could have bought me.

We then spent the entire afternoon down by the bay... picnic, park, sunshine & some wine = very happy momma! I finished my day with ice cream and Game of Thrones {did any of you watch last night?? Soooo good - right?!?!}

Anyhow, enough about my weekend, on to today's craft! These personalized picture frames are really easy and a fun way to spruce up any frame.

1) Create Design
2) Cut design out on pretty colorful vinyl {using Silhouette, Cricket or something of the sort}
3) Weed (remove all un-needed vinyl)
4) Transfer to Transfer paper
5) Place onto your frame

Look at the cute result!

These doggie frames were already super cute, but I think the names add just a little something extra.

The best part was that this craft took maybe 30 min - perfect for a busy mom like me! :)

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Pintastic Friday #9 {Sewing}

2014-05-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pintastic Friday!!

YES!!!

I had no doubt that I would finish this pin. I went from never making muffins to making them ALL.THE.TIME. I can never go wrong when it comes to a yummy new muffin recipe and last week there was too many to choose from!

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

{Recipe HERE}

This recipe does not disappoint! These were delicious and they didn't last long!

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I must admit that sewing projects have always been a little daunting. I hand stitch with ease, but tackling a sewing machine has always been so intimidating to me. I've been telling my husband for YEARS that I'm going to learn to sew, however my brand new sewing machine just sits there in the corner of my craft room...

Not any more! I'm going to jump in with 2 feet and not look back! Here are a few of the pins from my SEWING Pinterest board that I've had my eye on for quite a while.

The Simple Placemat Tutorial

by: VixenMade

DIY Pillowcase

by: A Curiously Chic Life

DIY Travel Toiletry

by: source unknown

Sew Easty Outdoor Cushions

by: Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer

Little Guy Floppy Tie

By: Pieces by Polly

Wish me luck!!

HAPPY ~~CRAFTING~~ SEWING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

2014-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

To be perfectly honest, I've never been much a muffin fan... however over the past year or so, I've come to really enojoy them.

It all started with my hubby, he hates eating breakfast, however if we have muffins in the house, he'll eat those {strange I know}. So after buying muffins for a few weeks, I realized that making them would be cheaper & I could take the regular muffin recipe and turn them into mini muffins, which are perfect for my little munchkins fingers :)

Last week's Pintastic post was a bunch of new recipes, so I thought it was time to finally try a new one out. This recipe does not disappoint! They were DELICIOUS!

My hubby & kids love muffins... especially when they are filled with chocolate chips {well who doesn't - right?} and I love them because they are super easy to make and a great, quick snack that can be eaten on the go.

Since we are always running late in this house, on the go food works for us!

Here is how you make them. Seriously, it's super easy and most of the ingredients are probably already in your cupboard.

First you'll need your ingredients:
Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt, Baking Soda, Bananas, Butter, Milk, Vanilla, Eggs & Chocolate Chips

Today I was lucky, since I had my assistant helping... made it easier for me to take pics

I don't normally pour all the measurements out into separate bowls {since it just means more dishes for me to wash}, but since my little one was helping, this step made it much easier for her :)

She's cute huh??

okay, back to the muffins

Combine your wet ingredients: Milk, butter, eggs & vanilla

Next combine your dry {except the sugar} ingredients in a large bowl: Flour, Salt, Baking Powder & Baking Soda

Now pour your wet ingredients into the bowl with your dry ones.

{do you see her little tongue sticking out? When I'm concentrating, I do the exact same thing!}

Mix {just until combined}

Time to add the banana ** which you peeled and smashed up in a separate bowl**

Stir in the banana

Time for everyone's favorite part ... THE CHOCOLATE!

She "sneaks" a few chips. but who doesn't?? hehe

She even shares them with her baby sister... thank you kisses... so adorable!!!!

Okay, back to the recipe, no more distracting photos....

Last but not least, you want to fold the sugar in gently. This produces a muffin with a delicious, crunchy exterior without having to make a streusel.

Interesting, huh? I actually picked up this tip from Ina Garden {yes, yes, we are BFF's} hahaha, NOT! I actually picked up the tip from watching one of her Food Network shows.

Time to scoop the mix into your muffin pan. I use a mini muffin pan, but you could definitely use a regular muffin pan. Use liners or spray with PAM first

I use a melon baller to ensure that all the muffins will be the same size.

Instead of making 2 batches of mini muffins, we made 1 batch of mini muffins and 1 batch of animal muffins.

Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes

I tasted one before I remembered to take a pic... oops!

Of course my helper had to test one out too!

These are how our animal muffins turned out. My munchkin decided that these were "her & sissy's special muffins"

FULL RECIPE
Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter {melted}
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas {peeled and smashed up}
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup sugar

Heat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a large mixing bowl, set aside. In a smaller bowl combine the butter, milk, vanilla & eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and MIX. Stir in the bananas and the chocolate chips. Lastly, fold in the sugar**

Scoop batter into a greased bread muffin tins. Bake mini-muffins for 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Larger muffins will take approximately 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Complete cooling on a wire rack.

**This produces a muffin with a delicious, crunchy exterior without having to make a streusel. {tip I picked up from Ina Garden}

HAPPY BAKING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

DIY {sharpie} Coffee Mug

2014-05-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've seen these DIY Coffee Mugs floating around Pinterest for a while and I thought it was time to make one.

In case you didn't know, there are a TON of Pinterest Fails in regards to the sharpie "wiping right off", so I decided to ask a friend who makes them regularly. She told me that sharpies didn't work for her and to use Ceramic Paint Pens.

Now normally I would have run down to the craft store to by some paint pens BUT those who know me personally, know that I'm a MAJOR procrastinator. Unfortunately, I had planned to give this gift to my mom... who I was going to be seeing in a few hours... eeeckkk!

I thought... it only needs 30 min in the oven, I can do it the morning of... no such luck!

On to plan B!

I scoured the internet looking for Pinterest Success with regular Sharpies and luckily I found a bunch! Here are a few things I learned:

* The type of mug you purchase makes a difference. The cheaper the better. Why? Well it seems that cheaper mugs don't have as strong {or nice} of a glaze ---> which means the sharpie actually adheres to the mug better.
* Everything I read says "30 min at 350°" so most people would preheat oven, then put mug in - which is WRONG. You want to put your mug in the COLD oven and then turn it on to 450° and bake for 30min. Then let your mug cool completely before removing from oven {crack the oven door to help the speed up the cooling process}.
* The colors will change. So don't get upset when your red sharpie turns pink :)
* Handmade = HANDWASH. I thought this was kind of a given, but it's amazing how many people thought they'd be okay in the dishwasher... hand wash only
* Pure dumb luck - even if you do everything right - it still might turn out wrong.

Luckily my mug turned out perfectly - hahahahaha - except for my terrible penmanship, but heck, it give it character :)

I did a simple design ------> Madison + Riley = Happiness for Nana

See the date? My momma's birthday {well minus the year}.... and here is a picture from April 16, 2014 {almost 7 months later} via my mom's FB page

I must say that it still looks pretty darn good! Hopefully you'll have the same dumb luck as me :)

HAPPY CRAFTING!

(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Photo Flower Pots

2014-05-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Being a blogger can be very frustrating.

I spend a lot of time taking photos, editing photos and then writing posts and I sometimes wonder if anyone is even reading what I'm writing?!?! Getting people to visit your page is tough work and getting them to come back is even harder! I seriously think my sisters and hubby are my only true followers - haha.

So last week when I received an email from Parenting.com saying that my blog had been featured on their website I.WAS.ECSTATIC!!! I couldn't believe that a website {who's magazine I subscribe to} featured my blog!

Click here to see ----> Colorful Initial Art - Parenthood.com

It was such a nice confirmation that other people {besides my family} actually read my blog AND that they enjoy the content I provide. So if you're reading this, please remember that blogging can be very time consuming with little rewards, so spending an extra minute to leave a comment or share a link, really REALLY makes us bloggers happy.

{okay, stepping off my soap box now}

Onto today's craft - this lovely little Photo Flower Pot I made for Mother's day - for the grandmas - to go along with my craft from yesterday {click HERE to see it}

This was really easy to make, however I apologize for not taking ANY photos of the process. I made these 2 years ago, about 2 weeks after my daughter was born... I had to make these in between feedings and after I was done I looked at my hubby and said, "Ahhh, I forgot to take pictures!!" I blame pregnancy brain - hehe :)

Anyhow, the process is very simple.
1) Spray paint a ceramic pot {any color}
2) Print photos from a regular printer on regular paper {NOT photo paper}
3) Place the photos on pot and cover with 2-3 coats of Mod Podge {let it dry in between each coat}
4) Spray with an acrylic sealer - which makes it water resistant
5) Plant a pretty flower

Here is a picture of all the pictures :)

I think what made this gift so special was that my sister-in-law & I both had babies born only a few weeks early {my daughter was 2 wks old and her son was 3 wks old} and I was able to include a few photos of all our kids together.

These turned out so cute and I love how versatile this gift is. You can make one for your kids teacher or give one as a house warming present, the possibilities are endless :)

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Family Hand Tree

2014-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast these past couple of weeks have flown by! I didn't mean to disappear but it's been CRAZY around here. First I was up to my ears in Minnie Mouse decor {post to follow soon} for my little girls 2nd bday party. Then I got this cold... ugh... I hate being sick... especially when it's sunny and 90° out.

Anyhow, I'm so excited to share this easy and cute Mother's Day craft with you. I made these a few years ago for our moms "the grandma's" and they absolutely loved them!

Here is how you can make your own Family Hand Tree :)

First cut out the tree from brown paper

Time to add your hand prints.

Instead of making a tree from MY family (me, hubby & kids), I chose to make a tree with my hubby's family {for his mom} and a tree with my family {for my mom}.

This was my mom's tree. We started with our hand prints {me & my girls... my littlest one was only 2 weeks old, her hands were sooooo little!} and we added my 2 sisters later.

Then I added the wording "Other things may change us, but we start and end with Family"

Next was my MIL's tree {hubby family}. The hubby & kids did their hand prints first, then we added his sister & her son {who was also only 3 weeks old}.

Let me tell you, trying to get a 2 & 3 week old to cooperate with painted hands was NOT easy, but they turned out pretty good, considering...

Since both our moms live over an hour away, we weren't going to see them on Mother's Day, so I drove up the Friday before to surprise the moms "grandma's" with their gifts. Both moms absolutely LOVED them!! It was a hit :)

{Do you see the flower pot? I'll be sharing that Mother's Day craft later this week}

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Pintastic Friday #8 {Muffins}

2014-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pintastic Friday!!

For those of you here for the 1st time, here is a little recap... I share a few of my favorite pins each week and then pick one to make. Last week I selected a few favorites and the "goal" is to share my completed pin with you ~~the next~~ this week. So here is the big question... did I actually complete anything? {drum-roll please....... }

Sadly, I didn't get my pin done this week {technically it was last weeks}, but between my cold, Easter and planning a Minnie Mouse birthday... I just couldn't get around to another craft. Now that I'm finally feeling better, I hope to have my blogging back on track!

********************************************

My whole family loves muffins, especially the hubby. So I love coming across a new recipe for us to try out. Here are a couple of delicious looking muffin recipes that I've been dying to try out.

Best Blueberry Muffins

by Cooking Classy

Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

by Inside BruCrew Life

Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

by Life in Pleasantville

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

by Cookies & Cups

Pancake Mini Muffins

by Pioneer Woman

Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

by Yellow Bliss Road

I have a feeling my family will LOVE whichever one I decide to make!

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Spring Decor & Easter Bunny Sign

2014-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

My kids have been so excited for Easter all month! When we decorated our front porch, my little ones thought that the Easter Bunny was coming the next day....

That was 2 weeks ago.

So every morning we go through the same routine: They wake up and ask "Did the Easter Bunny come? Did he hide the eggs? " Then they proceed to look the window at the grass in the backyard.

We've tried to explain that Easter is in a "few weeks", but our 2 & 3 year old have no concept of real time. They associate everything with, today, tomorrow or yesterday. So it looks like it's gonna be Groundhog Day around here... until Easter Sunday finally arrives! {luckily we only have a few more days left. haha}

I wanted to make this Easter Bunny sign last year, but never got around to it. So this year I was determined to make it. It cost me nothing {since I had all the supplies on hand}, but even if you had to purchase them, it couldn't be more than $5-7 and it turned out super cute!

This is pretty easy to make, especially if you have a Silhouette or Cricket. I created my design on my Silhouette and then cut everything out on vinyl.

Got all my vinyl onto the transfer paper

Time to line everything up.

I used a canvas {because there was a great sale at Michael's and I stocked up!}. However, you could use poster board, a piece of wood or even cardstock.

Tape everything down

Time to start pressing the vinyl onto the canvas. I started upside down, so I could get into all the areas around the wood edges

For the top, I placed a thick book under, so while I was pushing, there was something hard underneath {since the wood edge creates a gap between the canvas & table}

Peel off the transfer paper

Next cover your letters in Mod Podge. The reason is when you paint over the letters, the mod podge will create a barrier, so the paint won't bleed/leak under the vinyl. You could bypass this step, but I recommend that you don't :)

Once it dries, get your paint out

Did you notice that I used an egg dying cup to paint my Easter sign? hehe. Just trying to stay with the Easter theme :)

Start covering the canvas completely.

Don't forget the sides {I used my thick book again to hold up the canvas so I could paint the sides}

Now I forgot to take pics of this part... but once it's dry peel all the letters off carefully.

Here is how it will look!

It was the perfect addition to my Front Porch Spring Decor!

Don't you just LOVE that bunny vase? My MIL gave it to me a few years ago and it's probably my favorite Spring/Easter decoration!

Having kids reminds me how magical holidays can be. Believing in the Easter Bunny is such a fun tradition that I love getting to experience all over again with my kids!

HAPPY EASTER!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

More Easter Ideas:

{free} Easter Printable

Easter Mimosa Bar

Easter Onesie - Boy

Easter Onesie Girl

Jelly Bean Flowers & Candy filled Eggs

Happy Easter Banner

Egg {Pom Pom} Egg

Spring Flower Wreath

{FREE} Easter Printable

2014-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Getting sick is terrible.

I've been fighting this dang cold for almost 2 weeks and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

This cold messed up all my blogging plans. I had all these great Easter crafts that I was going to share last week, but I just couldn't get around to it. My head was pounding, my nose was running, my girls were on their WORST behavior and my patience had disappeared...

I went through about 8 boxes of tissues...

I should have made myself one of these

On top of being sick, I spent last weekend helping my sister with some AMAZING chalkboard signs for her boyfriends, sister's wedding {will post pics soon}, planning my daughters 2nd bday party {which is in 11 days}, getting ready for Easter {in 5 days} and still trying to keep my house in tact.

Now that I'm feeling about 90% back to normal, I thought I'd take a break for my party planning to write a little post and share a FREE PRINTABLE!

Here is this adorably cute Easter Subway Art that I created and thought I'd share with all of you!

Just print out a copy, stick it in a frame and put on your mantle, coffee table or wall.

Just click on the link below to download the Easter Printable

{FREE} Easter Printable

This will print out in 8x10, but if you want smaller, just shrink before printing {you should see an option in your printer settings}

Hopefully I can get a few more Easter crafts posted before the end of the week!

HAPPY EASTER!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

More Easter Ideas:

Easter Mimosa Bar

Easter Onesie - Boy

Easter Onesie Girl

Jelly Bean Flowers & Candy filled Eggs

Happy Easter Banner

Egg {Pom Pom} Egg

Spring Flower Wreath

Pintastic Friday #7 {Easter}

2014-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pintastic Friday!!

YES!

Did you see last week's post with all the fun painting crafts for kids? Since my little one LOVES painting, I knew this was going to be an easy craft to actually follow through with.

Colorful Initial Art

{tutorial here}

She had so much fun painting and she loved how it turned out. "Look momma, it's an "M", just like Madison and just like Momma. It's perfect!"

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As much as I love this time of year, it's also the start of the busiest month of the year for me. It starts with Easter... then my Nephew's bday, my daughter's bday, my MIL bday, my Dad's bday, Mother's Day & lastly my other Nephew's bday... 5 weekends full of family events!

If I procrastinate the tiniest bit {which is my M.O.}, I will fall WAY behind. Which is why I'm getting a head start. Hopefully I can follow through :)

SPRING Wooden Letters

By Wood 'n Stiches - Etsy

Easter Egg Garland

By Crafty Endeaver

Colored Rice

By Today's Creative Blog

"Hanging with my Peeps" Vinyl Shirt

By A Glimpse Inside

DIY Easter candle holders

source unknown

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Colorful Initial Art

2014-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! Sorry for being a little MIA... my munchkin was on spring break all week, which has been good & bad. It made my day a little less hectic {since I didn't have to be a taxi all day} but it also got our routine all out of wack!

Since we were home most of the week, I ended up spending a lot of time working on random projects around the house and trying to keep my {stir crazy} kids entertained. So sadly my blog took a back seat... but I'm back!

Last week I posted a bunch of really cute and easy Pintastic painting crafts - for the kids. Since my munchkin comes home with paintings every day from school, I thought this would be the perfect activity for her. As soon as I told her we were painting, she was ECSTATIC!! She couldn't wait to start.

First we got the paints out {old egg dying cups are perfect for this} and start laying the masking tape down.
First was the "M"

Then we added a few diagonal lines and "stars"

Time to start painting!

I got this gigantic clipboard years ago and since we don't have an easel, this works out perfectly!

"Mommy, I'm done"

Let it dry {you can use a blow dryer to speed up the process}

Once it's dry, carefully peel the masking tape off

By the time it dried, my munchkin was already sleeping, so she didn't see how it turned out, until the next morning...

She LOVED it!

I think that smile says is all :)

"Look momma, it's an "M", just like Madison and just like Momma. It's perfect!"

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Easter Mimosa Bar

2014-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's almost April. Has this year flown by or what?!? In exactly 26 days my little girl turns 2! OMG, I can't even think about how big she's getting. Before I dive into full blown party planning, I've get to get another little event all set up... Easter!

Do you have Easter Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?

In my family we always have an Easter dinner, however since everyone gets to my house around lunch time, I had to have something for them to snack on.... and drink :)

Welcome to the Easter Mimosa Bar!

I'm not gonna lie, I love mimosa's. They are such a treat, since I usually only have them when we're out to breakfast {which isn't very often} or on a holiday. So when I came across this "mimosa bar how to" {by Kojo-designs} I knew I had to have a mimosa bar of my own!

I made Orange Juice, Strawberry Lemonade & Rhubarb Strawberry Juice. The mixers were so delicious, you could have drank them without any Champagne! I handmade all the mixers {recipes here} however, to save a lot of time, you can just pick any pre-made juice mixes from the store.

I don't know about you, but I love putting fruit in my Mimosa's. So the night before I froze some Raspberries, Blueberries and cut up Strawberries, and served them in these cute little jars. They were the perfect addition :)

Now that everyone was settled in with their drink, it was time to fill their bellies!

I didn't want anything too filling {since I was slaving away in the kitchen cooking a fabulous Easter dinner}, but I wanted it really tasty. Some of it was homemade, some store bought, all delicious!

Mini Feta Puffs

{Carmelized Onion Feta Puffs} from Trader Joes. If you haven't had them, get in your car, drive to the store and buy some now!
You will fall in love.

Glazed Meatballs

with a Jelly & Chili glaze {recipe here}

Spinach Dip

My Aunt-in-law makes this for every event and we all LOVE it! One day I'll ask her for the recipe......

Caprese Bites

Mini mozzarella balls, mini heirloom tomatoes (or grape tomatoes) & Basil.
Sprinkle with Salt & pepper then drizzle some olive oil & balsamic vinegar over the top.

and of course the Easter table wouldn't be complete without Deviled Eggs!

Gosh, I'm getting hungry just looking at all this yummy food!

I love how versatile this Mimosa bar is, you can have this bar at any holiday, birthday party, bridal shower or even a baby shower. Remember how I said that my little girl's birthday was right before Easter? Well at the time, I was 38 weeks pregnant while hosting this Champagne Bar... can you say torture!?!?!?!

Luckily, a pretty Champagne glass filled with Sparkling Cider and Strawberry Lemonade {my personal favorite} and I ~~completely~~ almost forgot that I wasn't actually drinking Champagne.

HAPPY EASTER!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

More Easter Ideas:

Spring Decor & Easter Bunny Sign

{free} Easter Printable

Easter Onesie - Boy

Easter Onesie Girl

Jelly Bean Flowers & Candy filled Eggs

Happy Easter Banner

Egg {Pom Pom} Egg

Spring Flower Wreath

Pintastic Friday #6 {Painting}

2014-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pintastic Friday!!

YES!

I've mentioned my sweet tooth a few times, so last week my theme was cookies {yum!} In case you missed Thursday's post - here is the yummy recipe I made. Cookies + M&M's = happy family

Perfect mini M&M Cookies

{Recipe HERE}

Who doesn't love M&M's in their cookies? My whole family went crazy for these yummy {and very colorful} cookies. Thanks Picky Palate for the amazing recipe!

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My kids love crafting {they must take after their momma}. When it comes to picking a craft, painting is always at the top of their list. Seeing how messy painting can be, I try to keep it an outside only activity. Now since the weather is nicer and the sun is shining longer, I thought it was time to bring out the paints!

Kids Painting - Name Art

source unknown

Rainbow Painted Toast

By Things to Share & Remember

Paint in a Bag

By Pinteresting Life of Noah

Creating with Crayola - Initial Art

By Artsy Creations

Painted Mat in Frame

Source Unknown

I think my kids are going to love this weeks crafts!!

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Perfect Mini M&M Cookies

2014-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those days when you look at your kids and realize that they aren't so little anymore? That somehow overnight they magically aged? When I tell others this, they tell me I'm crazy, since "my kids are still babies". The thing is, they aren't babies anymore. My Rugrat turns 2 next month and my Munchkin is 3.5 going on 16.

Now I know they aren't big kids but they sure aren't babies anymore. They talk back, roll their eyes and tell me "No Momma!" way too much. Babies don't do that. They are turning into amazing little girls full of personality and in the past week or so it hit me. They are growing up.

Okay, time to stop whining about my babies getting big. One thing I love about them being "big girls" is how much they LOVE to be good helpers in the kitchen. Baking cookies has now become a team effort which makes the whole process much more fun!

These cookies were from one of the Pintastic recipes I posted last week and they were delicious!

Do you know the reason these are "perfect" mini M&M cookies? Their "perfect" shape. I make cookies all the time and they rarely come out so uniform and well, perfect. Until I came across this recipe by Picky Palate.

There is a secret! In order to get perfectly fluffy and chewy cookies every time, you add 3TBsp of instant vanilla pudding powder to the dough. That's it! Can you believe how simple {but effective} that is?!

Onto the recipe:

Mix the butter & sugars
Add egg & vanilla, Mix
Add Flour, Salt, Baking Soda & Vanilla Powder
Mix until combined

Time to add the best part! Mini chips & Mini M&M's

I might have snacked on a few....

Another tip I picked up was to use a small ice cream scoop {or in my case, a large melon baller} to scoop the dough. That way they are all consistent in size and will cook evenly.

After scooping, I left them exactly like this for baking {I did not push or flatten}.

This is how they looked after coming out of the oven.

Perfect!

They were delicous!

Cookies + M&M's = happy family

Head over to Picky Palate to get the full recipe!

HAPPY BAKING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Camping, Glamis & Sand Dunes

2014-03-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my husband went camping and it got me thinking about all the people out there who love to camp and then all those people who want nothing to do with it. Do you like to camp? Or do you think campers are crazy?

I'm one of those people who wasn't always crazy about camping, but I didn't hate it. I just tried to focus on the fun parts... drinking around the campfire & s'mores {hehe}

I think camping gets a bad rap, because there are so many ways to camp. From a tent on the dirt {with no bathrooms in sight} to staying in a 500k trailer at a "resort" campground and then everything in between. I think anyone can go camping and HAVE FUN as long as you go with the right people {the fun kind} and do a little prep before hand.

My hubby goes ~~camping~~ ~~riding~~ ~~camping~~... well he rides while camping and camps to go riding, every other month or so. We {me and the kids} don't tend to go since they are usually guy trips. I like going, but someone has to stay with the kids.... always a mom first. So last month I was so excited to finally go camping again!

I was excited to get away for the kid-free weekend, to have some aloneish time with the hubbs and relax around the campfire {with a beer and a s'more}.

We drove out to the Glamis Sand Dunes and it was a blast. My sisters boyfriend brought his trailer, beer and sweets and I brought the food, lots of it! It was such great weather {for all you east coasters in the snow... this was us in January}.

Glamis is basically endless sand, so at night the only light comes from campfires, laterns and the stars. That was my favorite part. Sitting around the campfire, retelling stories of our past, drinking beers, making s'mores and enjoying each others company.

Sitting under the stars is the best

I'm still learning to shoot in manual mode... love how different the same pictures look after tweaking a few things!

Our first full day there was filled with lots of riding and relaxing.

Oops, they caught me taking photos

The whole reason we went camping was for this guys birthday!

Remember how I told you we were surrounded by sand?

I'm serious, it was sand, trailers, sand, sand more sand, oh yea and.....

Ice Cream! It takes me back to the days of chocolate malts with little wooden spoons.

As much fun as riding was, I fell in love with the sunset.

Beautiful right???

Time for dinner, drinks and most importantly s'mores {did I mention that I love s'mores?}

The next day was just as gorgeous

Normally my hubby drives the Razor but I really really love driving it! {I think it freaks him out, since I like to go fast}. While the boys were hanging out at the campsite, my sister and I decided to head out for a ride. {do you like the hot pink goggles? cuz I do!}

We were both laughing the whole time. SO FUN!

My the time we got back, it was time to pack up and head out... but not before another beautiful sunset

My sis had to get an Instagram pic in.

She's being doing that peace sign in pics since she was 10 years old. I guess some things never change.

I wish I would have taken a few pics while we were riding... next time for sure.

HAPPY TRAVELS!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Easter Onesie - Boy

2014-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's not even April and the Easter crafts are popping up all over the web... so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon! I made this Easter Onesie a few years ago for my nephew and I loved how it turned out {if only I knew how to take better pics back then...}

I also made a girl version (see here) along with a bunch of other holiday onesies.

It's really simple, especially if you own a Silhouette :)

I loved the bunny from my girl onesie

so I used it again :)

A few pointers:

Make sure to PRE-WASH your onesie/clothing item first
Make sure to print your template out on normal paper first to confirm that you have the appropriate size/shape for the garment you are using.
VERY IMPORTANT!! Make sure to MIRROR your image BEFORE you print the final image on your iron-on sheets. Otherwise everything will be backwards :/

Next, either have your Silhouette cut out the image, or take a pair of scissors and cut it out yourself

All that's left is to iron it on

The only thing missing is the baby :)

Happy Easter!

HAPPY CRAFTING!

(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Pintastic Friday #5 {Cookies}

2014-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pintastic Friday!!

Sadly, I didn't get my pin done this week.... and I blame my sister! {hehe} She came to visit for a few days and since we were busy running errands, playing with the kiddos, watching a movie {finally saw The Great Gatsby, so good!} and drinking some wine, I didn't really get anything for the blog done. Oh well, there is always next week :)

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Some people love every kid of desserts, but me, I'm a cookie gal! I've got a huge sweet tooth, but I will take a delicious looking cookie over any other dessert - EVERY TIME! Here are a few that I've had my eye on for awhile...

Time to try one out! :)

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowl Sundae

By Ruhlman

The Perfect M&M Cookies

By Picky Palate

Copy Cat Girl Scout Tagalong Cookies

By A Dash of Sanity

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

By Picky Palate

Reese's Peanut Butter Cookie S'mores

By Crazy for Crust

HAPPY BAKING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Disney DIY Autograph Book....................... {Disney Series #3}

2014-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Hump Day! Today I have another fun craft to add to my Disney Series.

It all started with our Disney Ticket Surprise which was followed by some personalized Minnie Mouse shirts. Once I started crafting for our Disneyland trip, I couldn't stop! So the next thing was making this awesome autograph book.

There was a lot of research involved. In case you didn't know, there are a ton of websites devoted to 100% Disney. I went on a bunch of sites to figure out which characters were at Disneyland {they vary from park to park} and which ones were actally seen at the park.

After compiling my list, it was time to find pictures.

I found a LOT of pictures. Since I didn't know how I was going to do the layout, I probably saved 2-3 of each character. You'd think the hard part was over... nope! I had to find fonts.

"Why didn't you just pick from the list of fonts you already have?" Great question!

It's becuase I'm a perfectionist. Of course the font had to match the character. {Yes, I drive myself crazy!} Time to search a bazillion fonts...

Now that I had everything downloaded, I started working on the layout. The point of this project was to create a book that I could turn into a photo album. One side would be the autograph and the other side would be the pic of my kiddo w/the character. So I knew I wanted the book to be 8x8 in size.

At the time I didn't own any Photoshop programs, so I just created it in PowerPoint. After I created my 8x8 template, I started plugging away... it took awhile. After getting the book to look exactly how I wanted it, I printed a copy on regular paper {in black & white} just to see how it looked and to make sure everything lined up.

Once I knew everything looked good, it was time to print the final copies {which I printed on white cardstock}.

After everything was printed I headed to Fedex Office to get the book cut down to size & bound. They even put this shiny plastic cover over the top.

It looked fantastic! My girls were sooo excited to take it to Disneyland {well only Madison, since my little one had no clue what it was}.

The best part was our practice copy {the black & white one} was the perfect "play" book for my little one. My daughter was still in the ripping phase, so I didn't really want her playing with the original one, she took the practice copy and colored it, played with it and most importantly, got familiar with all the characters.

Here are just a few of the pages

Do you want to know the best part? These books were a HUGE hit with the charactors! Every charactor we met just raved over the book {yes, I know most of them don't talk, but thier expressions said enough, trust me!}. They spent extra time with my kids and they showed the book off to other people. {yes, I'm bragging....}

Here are some pics of the book in action!

Remember how I told you I was kind of a perfectionist? Well there is one thing that really bugs me about this book... I didn't put any blank pages in the back - UGH - sooooo irritating {for me, my kids don't care at all}. Our first trip to Disneyland was before we became immersed into Disney Junior, little did I know that those characters also walked around the park.

Also, in case you didn't catch the date - I made this in 2012 - it's now 2014... have you heard of a little movie called Frozen? My girls waited in line for 90min and my daughter looked up at me and said "Where is Anna & Elsa's page?" ahhhhhh, I guess they are starting to notice my flub up.... time to make another one :)

This book took quite a bit longer than I actually planned, but it was so worth it.

UPDATE: I've had a couple of questions asking how I knew what characters would be at the park. Here is the link to a "cheat sheet" I found. It shows which characters are at each park and where you can run into them. :)

Disneyland Character List and Walt Disney World Character List

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Fisher Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper review

2014-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

As all you moms out there know, there are A TON of baby products. By the time I was pregnant with my 1st, I knew I was ready...

Ready to be a mom, ready to give up my wants and needs to take care of my little one, I was even ~~ready~~ accepting the fact that sleep {my favorite thing ever} would go away. However, I was not ready for all the STUFF! There is so much of it and it's soooooooo overwhelming!

After 2 kids and trying out a ton of baby stuff, I am definitely no expert, but I do have a couple of FAVORITE items and this is at the top of my list.

Fisher-Price Newborn Rock n' Play Sleeper, Yellow
**comes in many styles and colors**

Both my girls went straight into their "taco" {as one of my friends named it} from the moment they came home from the hospital, until {sadly} they were too big for it.

There really are so many reasons to love this Rock n' Play Sleeper

Pros:

It's the perfect size. It's large enough to feel comfortable and sturdy, but still very lightweight and takes up little space. I could keep it next to my bed and carry it out to the living room in the morning {with baby strapped in} and it was no trouble.

The fabric is removable and machine washable, which is a plus when you have a little one. Between spit ups and blow outs, I was washing ours a ton, but it still fits securely and there is little to no fading.

The fact that you can fold it up with the push of a button makes this a breeze for transporting and storing. We brought it to Grandma's house every time, as well as the park, beach... even camping. Since we don't currently have a little one, I've got it stored away in the closet and it barely takes up any room.

I think the most useful part for us was the slight incline. Both of our girls had reflux and hated sleeping flat, so a traditional bassinet was out of the question. That incline saved us from a ton of tears.

Most importantly, it's safe. There is a three point harness which keeps your little one safe and sound. Between the incline, deep seat and 25lb weight limit, your little one will be snug and secure. However, once they get big enough to sit up and squirm/roll a bunch, it's probably time to move them to something bigger.

Cons:
Honestly, I couldn't really think of any. The only issue was a recall last year {1/8/2013}, that had to do with mold growing between the insert & the plastic frame. The issue has since been resolved and if you have an older model {like mine}, just make sure to wash and dry material properly and always wipe everything down between cleanings.

My girls loved their little chair

Taking it to Grandma's house was a breeze

My 2nd was 8 weeks old when we went on a week long camping trip and the sleeper was a life saver. It fit perfectly in the trailer at night and sat right next to all our camping chairs during the day.

This was my sad moment when I knew she was too big for her Rock 'n Play {tear}

I love this Rock 'n Play Sleeper so much. My kids slept so well in it and I think it was because of it's shape. My 2nd liked to sleep very "snuggled" and even though she was swaddled, it was never good enough. In a crib, she would toss and turn, but in the Rock 'n Play, if she rolled a bit, she still felt snuggled all around. Another perk was the height, I know a bunch of people use pack-n-plays, but since the Rock 'n Play sits much higher, I could see my little girls much easier. I've recommended this to every friend who's expecting and the ones that have bought it also loved it.

** I was not paid or compensated for this review, all words and thoughts are my own**

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Minnie Mouse Shirt {Disney Series #2}

2014-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Did you see my Disneyland Ticket Surprise post last Monday? In case you missed it, I surprised my hubby with tickets to Disneyland so we could take our girls there for the 1st time. We are a family of Disney lovers, so this was a very.big.deal!

As mentioned in my previous post, this is the 2nd in a series of Disney posts. {So keep on checking back to see more!}

Now, since it was their first time, I had to do something special.... so I busted out the Silhouette!

First the supplies:
* Bows
* Shirt/Onesie
* Black iron-on {flocked}heat transfer material
* Pink iron-on heat transfer material

Create the images (I did it on my Silhouette), then print them on regular paper to make sure everything is sized properly

Once everything is sized properly, time to cut out Minnie's head and iron on

**Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of that part**

Next cut out the names **Remember to mirror image - it should be backwards**

Now iron on the names

As for the bows... I just hand stitched them on.

They turned out so cute - I couldn't wait for the girls to wear them!

Fast forward a few days............

She was sooo excited and we hadn't even gotten through the front gates.

My little one was such a trooper!

Probably her favorite moment from the whole day. She was soooo excited to show her Minnie shirt off... "Momma, I match Minnie Mouse!!"

Our first family trip to Disneyland was a success, even though it was 95° {can you say HOT?!!} Our kids were such troopers, especially my littlest one. I wore her most of the day {which made me feel like it was over 110°} and even though she was a little sweat ball, she was so happy and content. We can't wait to go back... hopefully it will be a little cooler next time!

{Do you see the autograph book my hubby is holding? Check back later this week to see how I made it}

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Pintastic Friday #4 {Pasta)

2014-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pintastic Friday!!

YES

Last week I did a little St. Patrick's Day Pintastic theme. In case you missed Wednesday's post - here is the fun little craft I tackled. I was so excited to see how cute they turned out!

Rainbow Pudding Cups

(Tutorial HERE)

These were a HUGE hit with my girls. They ate dinner so quickly just so they could have their special rainbow pudding!

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The theme of this week is PASTA. I could ~~probably~~ definitely eat pasta EVERY DAY. I love coming across a really good {but east to whip up} pasta recipe, because who really wants to slave over dinner... not me! These are some pins from some of my favorite bloggers!

Creamy Sausage Tomato Pasta

by The Girl who ate Everything

One- Dish Skillet Dinner

by Kevin & Amanda

Lasgna Cupcakes

by The Girl who ate Everything

One Pot Wonder

by Apron Strings

Pesto Chicken Lasagna Rolls

by Baked by Rachel

They all look sooo delicious, I might have to make them all!

HAPPY COOKING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Rainbow Pudding Cups

2014-03-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where my brain was this week... I felt foggy and groggy and sleepy and zzzzzzzzzzz

On Monday, my friend Shelley and I were invited to a play date on either Thursday or tomorrow, my response was, "Thursday doesn't work, Madison has school on T/TH, but tomorrow should work :)"

The next text was from my friend Shelley, "Doesn't Madison have school tomorrow?"

Really?!?!? Where was my brain? Tomorrow is Tuesday, not Wednesday! duh! {Thankfully my friend knows my schedule better than I do.}

Later that afternoon, I was working on my Pintastic craft of the week and since I was still completely confused on which day it was, I was worried I wouldn't have my {wednesday} post completed in time.

Then I realized I was doing it again! It was still Monday... clearly my brain was broken.

Until today... the sun is shinning, it's 80° and the fog is starting to lift :) So let's get started with today's Pintastic craft.

Start with Jello & food coloring

Separate into bowls, add dye and mix to the color of your liking :)

I have to admit that I was super excited to have bowls {and spoons} the same colors as the rainbow. Thank you Ikea! {Yes, I'm a huge nerd}

Now after trying {with little success} to place the pudding in the glass without smearing it everywhere... I figured pipping it through bags would be easier.

It worked perfectly!

If you've never used zip lock bags to pipe, it's really easy. Snip the corner and just twist the top and squeeze out.

I put them in shot glasses, since I couldn't find my small glass jars

So cute!

Since the shot glasses turned out so cute, I thought I'd try some other glasses

My kids LOVED these, they were sooo excited to finish dinner, so they could have their rainbow pudding for dessert.

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Disneyland Ticket Surprise! ....................... {Disney Series #1}

2014-03-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love Disneyland... but really, who doesn't?!?!

My hubby and I were lucky enough to grow up about 20min away from Disneyland, so we've been going there our whole lives. It.never.gets.old!

In the summer of 2012 we took our kids to Disney for the 1st time. Since it was our first trip, I HAD to make some crafts! Now almost 2 years later, I've finally gotten around to posting about them. So check back over the next week or so to see everything!

This craft started back around Father's day {of 2012}. I was planning on just buying tickets, but then after seeing how expensive they were and figured we'd only end up staying for 3-4hours and we'd probably going back with the grandparents a time or two... I came to the conclusion that an annual pass worked out better.

With Father's Day around the corner, why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone? Annual Pass & Gift all in one. Now I didn't want to just hand him a card with the computer print outs, so I thought I'd be a little creative...

First we had to make the sign... letting him know what we were doing.

I used these cute wooden signs and painted it with black chalkboard paint

Then it was picture time...

Yes, that's drool....

We took a lot of photos......

Next it was time to turn all those photos into a cute little card

As cute as this card was, it didn't exactly explain that we got Annual Passes... not just tickets

So I went online looking for what an Annual Pass looked like (in case you didn't know, they change like every year!!). I found one I liked and then created my own.

**This is not an actual pass - just a design printed on Cardstock**

Cut and Glue

Looks pretty good :)
I even fooled my hubby - he thought it was the real thing.

He thought we'd only go once, so he was sooo excited to find out we got passes!

The first time we ever went to Disneyland together was back in 2006 {shortly after we got engaged}. Fast forward 6 years and we have 2 little munchkins with us. How things change.... in the best way ever!

(Do you see my kids adorable Minnie Mouse shirts? HERE IS THE TUTORIAL!!)

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake

2014-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Have I told you all about my addiction to Chocolate? I know, what woman doesn't love chocolate?? But seriously, I LOVE it. It was about 11 years ago when my hubby asked me to be his date for a very fancy work dinner at George's at the Cove {it's in La Jolla and it's amazing!} and since it was one of our very 1st dates, I remember it well...

What was I talking about? Oh yea... chocolate!

So we're at this dinner and it's time for dessert... they bring out this amazingly delicious chocolate box. Yes a chocolate box... filled with Grand Marnier White Chocolate Mousse with fresh berries over the top. O.M.G!

So my sweet guy {trying to be funny} asked me, "If you had to choose between chocolate & me, which would you choose?"

My response? "As long as you never make me choose, you'll never have a problem!" hahaha

He had soooo much to learn.

That was still in the beginning... before he found out about my TRUE LOVE. Peanut Butter & Chocolate. Now, I couldn't imagine my life without my hubby, BUT, I could never imagine my life without peanut butter & chocolate.

I love them individually. I love them together. They are the best. {As my good friend Joey would say, "put your hands together!"} FRIENDS fans? Anyone? Just me? okay... moving on...

So when I came across this pin I knew I had to make it. Dorothy @ Crazy Crust really knows her stuff and let me tell you... it's delicious!

I didn't make any changes to her version, but I did include a little step by step {with the help of my trusty assistant}.

First, gather all your ingredients.

Normally I don't put them all in separate bowls, but when my "assistant" is helping, this step makes it easier... for her, {not me... I end up with double the dishes}.

Time to mix the dry ingredients

Put that bowl aside... get all your wet ingredients together

Combine Wet & Dry ingredients together until just combined.

Now time to make the Streusel :)

Layer 1) half cake batter 2) half streusel 3) remaining batter 4) remaining streusel

Time to bake!

Gosh, the house smells sooooo good... I'm getting antsy... must.taste.now!

yummmmmmm

I'm doing everything in my power not to just dive right in with my fork...

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel
Original Source: Crazy Crust

Cake Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups Flour
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup {1/2 stick of butter}, softened
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk

Streusel Ingredients
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 2 TBsp flour
* 2 TBsp butter, melted
* 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9in square dish with cooking spray
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl . Set aside.
In a separate large bowl {I used my mixer, with paddle attachment}, mix both sugars, butter, peanut butter and egg. Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in milk.
Stir dry ingredients with wet and stir {by hand} until just combined.
Make the crumb topping: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour & melted butter in a small bowl. Once combined, fold in chocolate chips.
Place half the cake batter in the pan and spread to fit. Top with half the streusel. Repeat with remaining cake batter and streusel.
Bake for 21-25min, until a toothpick comes out clean. {Mine took 25min}

This would be a great little dish to bring to a brunch... I might even have to add it to our Easter brunch menu :)

HAPPY CRAFTING!
(to see where I've linked up - click here!!)