The Yellow Tail Housewife

Rainy Day Cupcake Crayons

2012-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

I love my kids. I just happen to love them even more when they're outside, so when it rained the other day I needed something to keep them busy and me sane.

Chances are if you have kids then you have crayons. If your kids have crayons, then you are bound to have broken crayons. I recently bought my kids the Crayola Telescoping Crayon Tower because I just got tired of looking at their ugly plastic container full of random crayon pieces. The Crayon Tower by the way is awesome! Only problem... It left me with a ton of old broken crayons. Turns out those old broken bits of crayon where just the thing I needed to keep my kiddos not only busy, but quiet for what seemed like a good hour.

Cupcake Crayons

Start by peeling all the paper off your crayons and if their not broken already, break them into small 1 to 2 inch pieces. This is the part that kept the kids occupied. It is messy, which is probably why they enjoyed it, so I suggest having them work over newspaper for easy cleanup. I was shocked at how long they kept at it. I got frustrated after the first two and couldn't handle the wax under my nails any longer.

Preheat the oven to 275 and line a cupcake pan with baking cups. I've also seen this done with silicone candy molds, but have also heard it leaves your molds pretty much useless when your done.

Fill each baking cup at least a quarter of the way full with your crayon bits depending on how many crayons you have. I wouldn't fill more then half way though to ensure they melt evenly.

Place the crayons in the oven for about 10 minutes or until crayons are completely melted. If you have one or two crayons that don't seem to be melting, no worries. I gave mine a quick stir with a toothpick when I pulled them out of the oven and the few stubborn ones I had blended right in.

Cool for 30 minutes and remove liners. They should look like little peanut butter cups. Maybe I should call them peanut butter cup crayons?

Color.

These are great for trips. Keep your nice crayons organized and at home. Store these in ziploc bags and take them anywhere. Loose them? Break them? Make new ones. Just keep a container (preferable out of site) for tossing crayons as they break and save for a rainy day.

A King has been named.

2012-02-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

My husband was making jambalaya for dinner last Tuesday and I decided to get into the spirit of things as well. So, on a bit of a whim I made king (cup)cakes for Fat Tuesday.

I had originally wanted to make an actual king cake till I realized, that wasn't exactly the type of thing you just whip up at four o'clock in the evening, so I used king cake as more of an inspiration per se. Basically this meant I used a lemon flavored box mix and added a tsp of ginger since as far as I know, which isn't much, lemon and ginger are two key components of a king cake.

Though much by accident, I made my batter egg free. That's what happens when you forget to check and see that you have all your ingredients before you begin. Oops! Wouldn't be the first time, which is why I knew to substitute 1 Tbsp milled flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water for each egg. However, if you have egg allergies, want to make something vegan or you just screwed up and forgot to check your eggs like me, I would suggest using 1/4 cup of mashed banana or applesauce as an egg replacement instead, but surprise! I didn't have those things either, so flax seed it was.

A king cake is like Mardi Gras on your plate. Covered in gold, purple and green, presentation is key with this hideous looking thing. So for my cupcakes, I divided my batter into three bowls and mixed in food coloring so that I would have a rainbow of cake mix to work with.

I added a spoonful of yellow, green and purple to each cupcake tin.

The thing that truly sets the king cake apart from ordinary cakes, other then the fact that it looks like an Easter wreath and is stuffed with pantry randomness, is the plastic baby hidden inside. Apparently the plastic baby is suppose to represent baby Jesus, so Ive heard. Whoever finds this baby inside their piece of cake either earns the title of "King for the day" or has to make the cake next year. Something like that. I decided to go with the king for the day bit. Oh, and I also went with a plastic army man. It was the closest thing I could find to a plastic baby laying around the house.

I mixed a little confectioners sugar and water with intentions of drizzling some icing over the cupcakes, but wouldnt ya know it - I ran out of confectioners sugar. I was over it by this point. I half ass decorated a cupcake and called it good.

If your wondering who found the army man?... Well, nobody. At least nobody that night. Hey, it wasn't exactly your normal king cake, so who said the army man actually had to be found on Fat Tuesday? He eventually was found though and 'A' was pronounced "King for the.... well, rest of the Night".

(No army men where harmed in the making of these cupcakes)

Wordless Wednesday - My silly Valentine.

2012-02-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day!

Technically, he did color my Valentine.

Nothing says, "I love you" like heart shaped meatloaf.

Shame on Westboro and their irrational disicion to protest Powell boys' funeral

2012-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

I am so disgusted and saddened by the news this morning of the Westboro Baptist Cult, I mean Church, and their ignorant disicion to protest the funeral of the two Powell brothers who where killed by their father last Sunday after he deliberately set fire to their home in Washington state (as if that's not sickening enough). The reasoning behind their mindless protest? They actually are naive enough to think that Josh Powell, the boys father, was punishment for Washington's decision to legalize gay marriage. What the, excuse me, fuck are they thinking? Better yet, why are they not thinking? That is the most absurd thing Ive ever heard, and Ive heard some pretty absurd shit. Have these sweet little boys not suffered enough? Let them rest in peace, please!

It is uneducated organizations like the Westboro so called church that give Christianity a bad name. Shame on them for using god as their platform to spread their hatred!

My husband, god bless him, was so upset by this story that he decided to call the Westboro church this morning in hopes of maybe indoctrinating someone with some actual scripture and respectable moral value, but was further aggravated when sent directly to an automated system prompting him to choose whether he was a veteran or a patriot. Upon choosing patriot, he was then directed to another automated message criticizing his patriotism because of the acceptance of gays in our country. Infuriated, he was not able to listen to the entire brainwashing message and hung up.

Westboro should not have the right to call themselves a church. A church is a place of worship; Wesrboro is a place of prejudice.

"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:12)

Chocolate Avocado Banana Pudding

2012-02-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

I had tons avocados left over from Superbowl Sunday that needed to be used. I am not a huge avocado fan and my husband was a little burnt out on guacamole so I decided to try something new.

My Chocolate Avocado Banana Pudding. Yum!

There is a Chocolate Pudding recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious that uses avocado's. Seeing that my kids are a little on the small side, we're talking 5th percentile for weight, I thought a little avocado in their diet could do some good. However, Jessica's recipe calls for an entire cup of confectioners' sugar, which lets face it, is a lot of sugar. Kind of defeats the purpose of hiding the avocado in the pudding, so I decided to change it up a little and not only cut out the sugar, but eliminate the stove, saucepans and even add a banana.

Here is Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Pudding recipe:

Ingredients

1/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
1 cup avocado puree
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch

In medium saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Stir in the avocado puree, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Cook, mashing well with a silicone spatula to smooth out any lumps of avocado, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually stir in the cornstarch. Serve warm.

Here is my simplified version:

Ingredients

2 avocados
1 banana
1-2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (optional)
3-4 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon or cayenne pepper

In blender, puree avocados and banana with agave nectar or honey till smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and cinnamon or cayenne. Pulse till creamy adding water in small amounts if necessary till desired consistency.

This was so good! Your kids will never know its made from avocado. I even froze some in Popsicle molds for the kids and it came out almost like a fudge. Very rich. If you like dark chocolate, you are sure to love this!

A very happy "A" with his pudding pop.

Madonna pulls it off

2012-02-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

First of all, thank you Giants for not making me eat my words and kicking some Patriot ass!

Now, unfortunately I have to admit I was wrong about my thoughts on the Superbowl half time show with Madonna. Granted Madonna herself kinda sucked, she did come through with some good names to save the half-time extravaganza. I love LMFAO! My kids, as inappropriate as it may be, love them also. Just wish they could have done a little more. Hats off to Cee Lo and Nicki Minaj as well for stepping up Madonna's performance.

I'm a little disappointed I missed the so called "obscene gesture" by M.I.A. that is causing such an uproar. Way to deflect from Madonna's mishap on the bleachers. Oops!

If you happened to miss Madonna's performance you can watch it here.

What did you think?

Mission: Spice Cupboard Organization

2012-02-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

I finally did it. I cleaned out and organized my spice cupboard. I am embarrassed to even show this but here is my spice cupboard before:

And now the after:

Okay, so I'm no Martha Stuart, but its a start. For about $18 I got a small cabinet organizer and two turntables from Bed Bath & Beyond. Not bad.

I had a few bags of spices from the Mexican market that were really making a mess and taking up room so I used a couple of my kids empty Disney Dough containers along with some cheap address labels and dumped the spices into those.

Though it may look like a medical marijuana dispensary, the empty Disney Dough containers worked perfect. I love my new spice cupboard! It almost makes me wanna cook dinner, but I think I'll have a glass of Yellow Tail instead. Cheers!

Superbowl XLVI - Who you got?

2012-02-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have recently become a huge football fan thanks to my husbands fantasy football league. The league gave me a reason, other then drinking beer, to watch the games. I actually intend on joining the league myself next season. Look out boys!

Needless to say, I was so excited to hear the enthusiasm my son had for Superbowl this morning when he asked "How many more days till Superbowl?" It was like he was waiting for Christmas or something. "After today, then how many days?" I was like a proud papa thinking, that's my boy!

However, the wind was slightly taken out of my sails when I asked if he was gonna watch the big game with us and he responded "Na, I don't get it." What?

Apparently it is half time he is looking forward too. Well, was looking forward too. He loved the half time show last year with the Black Eyed Peas so much, he has not forgotten it. Mind you, he was four. What can I say, the kid has good taste in music and he loves to dance. Wind back in my sails. That's my boy!

Unfortunately, I had to be the bearer of bad news, Madonna's performing at half time. Now can someone tell me what the hell that's all about? He is not the only one disappointed by this news. Don't get me wrong, I loved Madonna.... in the 80's. You know, before she somehow became British. What do you think about Madonna performing for half time? If anything, hopefully she'll sing her old stuff.

Half-time show aside, this years Superbowl is going to be great! Though I haven't been an avid football fan in the past, some thanks to my Seattle Seahawks, I have always had a sore spot for the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. Not sure what it is exactly, except for the fact they CHEATED and Tom Brady broke up with Jessica Simpson (Hey, I'm still a girl) but I just don't like them. Besides, how can you not like Eli Manning? He's no Drew Brees, but he's got my vote. With that said, Lets do it again Giants!

Are you a football fan? Who's your pick for this years Superbowl?

Distressed Red Dining Chairs

2012-02-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, my now mother-in-law gave my husband this picture that we have notably dubbed Jose, for obvious reasons. We have since then, used Jose as the inspiration for out dining room. Having said that, I think Jose is well deserving of a new frame or maybe matting, but for now he's just gonna have to let my new chairs take the spot light.

Jose

Ive been on a bit of a DIY kick lately. I think it was the success of my cork ball that really got me going, but this has been my biggest, and probably most useful project. I painted and distressed a pair of dining chairs that I found on Craigslist for $20 each which may seem a bit pricey, but they were exactly what I was looking for and in pretty good shape.

One of my chairs BEFORE

First, I enlisted my husbands help for the dirty work, and sanded the chairs down. Then with a little help from Jose, I decided to paint the chairs red. I chose Rustoleum spray paint, cause its easy, in Colonial Red.

I let the chairs sit over night to dry. Then came the distressing part. I wasn't totally sure what I was doing here so I pretty much winged it and lightly sanded the edges of the chairs down. Then I went over the chairs with a Minwax Dark Walnut stain.

One of my chairs AFTER

I'm pretty happy with the way the chairs turned out, however I could have done a little more distressing. I was a little weary about sanding the chairs to much before applying the stain though. Nothing two little boys armed with matchbox cars and super hero figurines can't fix, I'm sure.

I do love the color! Wish I could say it was intentional, but the color came out almost identical to the red on my new talavera pot. Very cool!

Next, I plan on using the same color on my son's dresser. Would love any tips you have for distressing furniture with paint. Should I have used a primer? What about a protective top coat of some sort? Is there a specific size of sand paper that works best for sanding down my newly painted piece before applying the stain?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

My attempt at Origami Accessories

2012-01-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

I was feeling crafty the other day and remembered these origami accessories I had seen on the Nate Berkus show a few weeks ago. I thought they looked simple and required nothing more then paper and glue so I figuired I would give them a shot.

My Origami Masterpiece!

Believe it or not, they actually looked pretty cool clustered together on the show. However, I have come to find that unless you have the time (and patience) to make several of these, including large ones, they're pretty much useless. Duh, right?

Picture courtesy of: The Nate Berkus Show

I'm thinking, a couple of these made out of pages from an old phone book, might look cool if placed on a little table next to your home phone. My husband, on the other hand, is thinking I have cabin fever and maybe I should get out of the house (and probably lay off the wine). Whatever.

Homesick

2012-01-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

Beautiful southern California my ass! Okay, so maybe that was a little harsh, but lately I have been feeling a little homesick. At least for the last two days since Seattle has been getting all this snow. I definitely love where I live and I am all for winter lows in the 50's and 60's; I just miss the snow. It's the rain and cold I can do without.

Mom's backyard

Though my kids have been to the mountains to play in the snow, they have never actually seen it snow. There is nothing better then sitting in your own house watching the snow fall, and let's face it what kid doesn't love a snow day?

Idea: I'm starting to think this post could be a drinking game. Every time you read the word snow, take a drink.

Speaking of snow and drinks, how about a duck fart? Yum! Nothing says home like sitting outside in the hot tub as it snows sipping on duck farts. Okay, now I'm really missing home!

Suppose a glass of Yellow Tail will have to do on this beautiful sunny California ~~winter~~ afternoon.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Cheers!

Cork Balls: Another reason to drink more wine!

2012-01-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

It's no secret I like my wine. The problem with that though is, or was, the enormous cork collection I have accrued over the years. So, I decided to get creative and did a little research looking for ways to use old wine corks. Most of the ideas I found where a bit cheesy. Who's really gonna wear a pair of cork earrings? (No offense to those of you who do.)

That's when I found it. The Cork Bowling Alley (cause that's not cheesy). It was like a big ray of sunshine! Someone combined to of my favorite things, wine and bowling. Yes, I love bowling. Go ahead and laugh. It gets better; I even have my own ball with my name on it. Oh yeah!

I'm not big on art, but the cork bowling ball was pretty damn cool. I did a search for cork balls and found that they've actually become quit the rage since this Anthropology window display.

How cool are these? I immediately jumped on the crafty DIY bandwagon and was on my way to my very own cork ball.

What I used:

40 wine corks; cut in half (It's not necessary to cut corks in half, but obviously requires the use of less corks).

garden sheers for cutting corks; if you decide to do so.

4" Styrofoam ball

hot glue gun with several glue sticks

moss

glass of wine (optional)

How I used it:

After cutting my corks in half with the garden sheers (you could use a sharp knife, but I found the sheers worked much faster and were a lot easier), I simply started gluing them to the foam ball. I used a dot of glue on the cut end of the cork and pressed firmly to the ball for about 10 seconds. Following no particular pattern, other then keeping the corks as close together as possible, this took about an hour and a half.

At this point, you could totally leave the ball as is. I chose to use the moss to cover the small white crevices that showed between some of the corks by placing a small dot of the glue into the gaps and pushing in small pieces of moss. Be careful though; the glue is HOT! I figured this out the hard way. I used a toothpick in a couple spots to push the moss down into the hot glue. It did get a little messy.

Instead of the moss, you may want to try painting the Styrofoam ball first, like Nicole did here: http://glamorousgranola.blogspot.com/2011/08/pinterest-challenge-cork-balls.html Great idea!

I foresee many cork balls in my future. I think they'll be cute for hanging outside this summer or if anything, serve as a good conversation piece.

*Want your own cork ball without all the work? Get them at Etsys.

That's some burnt spaghetti!

2012-01-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

Not only am I grateful for the roof over my head, I am also apparently in need of a refresher course in kitchen fire safety. Or maybe I just need to make dinner my damn self.

Yes, my husband almost burnt the house down last night. The worst part, he was making spaghetti. Spaghetti! He says he was heating up some olive oil in a pan when he went to the bedroom to change out of his work clothes. Note: Do not leave hot oil unattended! When he came back to the kitchen the oil in the pan (my favorite pan) was on fire. Full on flames!

I immediately thought to go for the fire extinguisher which we both realized after the fact that though we know where it is, neither one of us knows how to get the damn thing off the wall. Luckily, his not so genius idea to move the pan to the sink worked after a good dousing of flour and nearly setting the blinds into flames.

Did I mention he melted the sink? Yeah.

However, this was the first time setting the smoke detector off in our house, and that was rather impressive. Do all smoke detectors talk now? I seriously thought she (the smoke detector) alerted the fire department for us.

I also have to give it up for Le Creuset. If the house had burnt down, that pan would probably be the only thing left in a pile of rubble. If you don't got one, I suggest you get one. Best damn shotgun wedding gift I ever got. Or should I say, the only damn wedding gift I got?

Mac-n-Cheese Panini.... No you didn't?

2011-12-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Oh yes I did.... and it was good!

Though I may not have gotten my KitchenAid Mixer I had added to my wish list this Christmas, I did get a new Panini maker and I must admit, I love it! Who knew sandwiches could be so fun? Lately I have been on a bit of a Panini kick you might say. I even went as far as making a delicious mac-n-cheese and tomato panini. Mmmm!

Okay, so some of you may be thinking disgusting, but I say, 'dont knock it till ya try it.' Word is bond (whatever that means). Ya, it may be a big caloric mess, but my logic is that it's the end of the year and so why not go big? The tomato is healthy, right?

Its pretty self explanatory. I had some left over mac-n-cheese in the fridge that my kids wouldn't eat (god forbid they actually eat mac-n-cheese that consists of real cheese). So, not wanting it to go to waste I decided to slop it between to thick pieces of french bread, added a few slices of tomatoes and vuala! I put it in the panini press for about 3 minutes and lunch was served. There's just one thing that would have taken this over the top.... Bacon! Maybe next year. ;)

Poor Self Image - Its not just young girls we need to worry about.

2011-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

I think its pretty safe to say, we've all had moments where we didn't exactly care for the reflection we saw when we looked in the mirror. Either we didn't like the shape of our nose, the size of our lips or maybe the color of our eyes. I think its also safe to say that these insecurities are most common among young adolescent girls, but what about young boys? Is it true that over the years things such as TV and magazines have put added emphasis on the appearance of boys?

I was always under the impression that boys, particularly young boys didn't really care if they even looked in the mirror before leaving the house. They'd wake up, throw on whatever t-shirt was closest to where they stood, maybe run their hands through their hair (that is if they even had enough to do so) and hopefully, with a little nudging from mom, brush their teeth. Having two young boys, I'll admit that I was relieved with this idea. Seems so much easier then dealing with the vanity of little girls, right? Wrong. All of it, wrong.

It has never ceased to amaze me the energy my son, at just 5 years old puts into his appearance. He actually does care about what he is wearing and what his hair looks like. Will everyone think he looks cool? Will anyone laugh at him? Yes, at just five years old kids are being judged, or at least feel as if they are being judged by their appearance. It kills me! What happened to being a carefree kid?

What really broke my heart though was when my son was standing in front of the mirror the other morning and he said to me, "I don't like the way my face looks". Caught a little off guard I asked why, whats wrong with your face? That's when he began to sob. I immediately thought maybe he was joking. His eyes where shut tight and I wanted to believe he was pretending to cry. Then I saw it, the tear running down the side of his face, and I knew this was no joke. How could my baby, at only 5 years old, already be having issues with his appearance? These insecurities aren't suppose to arise at such a young age. And for a boy? I was stunned.

Holding back my own tears, I tried to draw out what exactly it was that bothered him about his handsome face. First it was the shape, then it was, as he put it, 'everything in his face' as he motioned his finger around his eyes, nose and mouth. My heart sunk. He was serious. This handsome little boy really did not like what he saw in the mirror.

After a talk about all the wonderful things I love about his face that his dad and I, along with god made for him, he was back to his normal 5 year old distracted self. His brother had caught his attention with some silly antics and they where off smiling and laughing as they wrestled around the bedroom. I on the other hand sat, still in shock and disbelief.

Fotunetly, I have learned that its not just young girls that we have to worry about when it comes to insecureties about their physical appearance, and it is sad but true that no matter what age, we eventually judge our own book, no matter how great the story, by its cover. So, while we continue to work on the content of our little ones stories, whether it be a princess fairytale with unicorns and barbie dolls or a race car driving super hero, dont forget to refer back to the cover and let them know just how perfectly it matches the inside.

Four hours, one electric mixer and... a Gingerbread House.

2011-12-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Ta da!! Our first gingerbread house.

I'm wondering if it's too late to add a new electric mixer to my Christmas list? While mixing the icing, or glue I should call it for our gingerbread house, my mixer literally started smoking. The kit I used (I'll be damned if I was going to make the gingerbread from scratch) said to mix 3 Tbs and 2 tsp of water to the icing mix, but oh my god! I added way more then that. It was so thick my poor little mixer just couldnt keep up. Needless to say, I lost her. So, if there happens to be an elf reading this, Im thinking KitchenAid Stand Mixer in I don't know... Candy Apple Red?

Update on thumbkin!

2011-12-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I am proud to say that 'A' is no longer sucking his thumb. The sock hand apparently worked. Now we just have to wait 6 months to see if some of the damage done to his teeth will reverse at all. Then of course I have to fork up my five bucks, but well worth it!

I know where thumbkin is... and he needs to go!

2011-12-09T17:03:00.001-08:00

Today we started day one of no thumb sucking for my 5 year old. Yes, my five year old still sucks his thumb! I took 'A' to the dentist yesterday where I was once again reminded of the fortune the damn kid is going to cause us in spacers and braces to fix his list of bites (overbite, under bite, cross bite, etc.) primarily caused from sucking his thumb.
The hygienist promised 'A' five dollars if when he comes in for his next cleaning he no longer sucks his thumb, so I upt the annie by matching her five dollars. However, I have tried bribery on many occasions and failed miserably. I had to laugh when 'A' suggested I put a cork in his mouth since he claims the reason he sucks his thumb is to stop yawning by plugging it up. If he only knew how many times the thought of 'putting a cork in it' has crossed my mind.

Considering our health insurance sucks, it would be far to expensive to just cut the damn thing off, so we are now enforcing the sock hand. A sock must be worn on both his hands while watching TV and at bedtime, when thumb sucking is more prevalent. So far, its working. I am however, open to other suggestions. In another word, HELP!

Could Santa be a threat to those with peanut allergy?

2011-12-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

We took the kiddos last night to see Santa Clause at the mall and of course have their pictures taken. Seems harmless right? Every year millions of little ones climb up on the big guys lap, but how many of those millions of children have a peanut allergy? Statistics would suggest close to 3 million which is why I was alarmed when I overheard Santa saying he was getting hungry.... the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he ate earlier wasn't cutting it. Did he really just eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Luckily we have no issues with peanuts, but my immediate thought was what if we did? I can almost guarantee Santa didn't brush after eating that sandwich and I can only hope he washed his hands.

Personally, I would have never have thought twice about Santa and any risk of cross contamination. That is until last night. Am I overreacting? What do you think? For those who have a child with peanut allergy, would this concern you? Do you let your child sit on Santa's lap? If so, do you inform Santa of your childs allergy?

Merry Christmas!

3 Tips for a Cheerful Holiday and ONE amazing gift the entire family will love!

2011-11-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be jolly... at least that's what they say. However, for most, 'tis the season to go crazy and broke (or just crazy broke)! That's why I'm sharing three tips that may not keep you from going broke, but at least keep you from going crazy broke and keep you somewhat sane at the same time.

1. Don't Try To Do It All. - Really, don't even attempt it! If your hosting a get-together whether it be with family or friends, don't be afraid to assign a task. I have found that people usually enjoy helping out with the food, especially around the holidays when the food takes center stage. We've all got that signature holiday dish, or cocktail in my case, we wanna share. However, for the Martha Stewart's of the world, keep doin' what your doin' and more power to ya (you probably wouldn't like my dish anyways)!

2. Christmas Lists Aren't Just For Kids - They're not just for Christmas gifts either. Not only do I make a list of everyone I need to by gifts for, but I also make a list for holiday travel. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year and definitely not a good time to leave anything behind, though I have contemplated leaving the kids. I make a list of everything, down to how many pairs of socks and chonies we need to pack. Don't forget to check your list twice (Santa was on to something with this one) and you'll be on your way, knowing you've got everything you need to make your trip as smooth as possible.

3. Eggnog - Did somebody say Holiday Cheers? *wink, wink* Need I say more? Nothing spreads more holiday cheer then a glass of eggnog (except maybe Bailey's). Just remember to drink responsibly. :D

In the spirit of making the holidays easier, I have got a great gift idea for any little builder in your life. You can add this to your list. Hasbro's New KRE-O Building Sets are sure to be among the top gifts for kids age 6 and up this year. My son just received two of these great building kits for his birthday a few weeks ago and he just loves them. I love them too! We are talking about hours of entertainment here. Of course, feel free to jump in and help them build. We put together the BUMBLEBEE Construction Set one evening together and to my surprise, it was really a lot of fun!

Why We Love KRE-O Building Sets

With KRE-O building sets your not only building, your playing! I was amazed at how well the sets stayed together when my son was done building. He drove his BUMBLEBEE sports car around for a week before transforming BUMBLEBEE into robot mode. They even come with KREON figures that fit inside the sports car for added fun!

Not only are KRE-O building sets affordable (they start at a mere $7.99), but you get double the bang for your buck! Each set comes with two buiding options. Kids can create their Transformer into either vehicle mode or robot mode. With a deal like that you may even want to add one of their "basic" construction sets to your holiday packing list if your spending the holidays away from home this year. I know my sons OPTIMUS PRIME basic 90pc construction set will be coming with us. It's a small set that's easy to pack yet loads of fun!

Maybe the best thing about KRE-O building sets is that they are compatible with other leading brand construction bricks so you can just add them to any collection your kids already own.

Get your KRE-O Transformer building sets in the construction isle of most major toy retailers nationwide or on HasbroToyShop.com and get building!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hasbro blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points and a KRE-O gift. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Hasbro. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Cheesecake?... What cheesecake?

2011-11-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Do you ever lie to your kids? Well, I have a confession. Shocker!
While making dinner the other night my 3 year old opened the fridge to show me what he wanted to drink and happened to notice the cheesecake I had been hiding towards the back of the bottom shelf. Damn it! I thought. I love my kids, but I really wasn't trying to share my cheesecake with them. So I told him, "cake is for little boys who eat there dinner all gone." Notice how I chose my words carefully, I never said he could have some if he ate his dinner all gone. I was hopeful that by the time he had finished his dinner he would have forgotten about the cheesecake and opted for a piece of his Halloween candy instead. Wrong! He remembered. However, I was prepared.
I had taken the cheesecake out of the fridge and placed it in a high cupboard. When Lando asked for cheesecake I said, "what cheesecake?" Poor little guy. Should have seen the look of confusion as he opened the fridge to show me the empty shelf where the image of cheesecake once was. I shuffled him off with a piece of Halloween candy assuring him of what a silly little boy he was. He'll be fine. A little confused maybe, but fine.
Now that I think about it, technically this wasn't a lie. Contribution to future delusions? Possibly, but hey, we cant all be sane.

Tax Breaks for Restricted Diets?

2011-11-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

We all know avoiding certain foods can be very expensive. Most allergen free brands tend to be specialty brands and can cost significantly more then big brand or store brand products. There can also be shipping fee's included for items that require online orders. Now, I had no idea, but apparently you can claim gluten free foods on your tax returns. Check out this post from Gluten Free Society, How To Get a Tax Break With Gluten Free Foods. This leaves me to wonder if this works for other allergy safe foods? This could be very helpful to a lot of families dealing with food allergies. It would be nice to catch a break somewhere. After all, allergen free foods are just a small portion of the high cost of food allergies. I would love to know if any of you have tried this before or have any further information on this.

Real Moms Love To Eat... and boy do I know it!

2011-11-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

As a real (notice the emphasis on real) housewife and mother I can honestly tell you, I love food! Really, who doesn't? Hell, even the real housewives on Bravo have to eat sometime right?... Though maybe not as much as the rest of us me. Luckily, there is a new book coming out this winter, written by certified health counselor Beth Aldrich called Real Moms Love To Eat; How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight, and Feel Fabulous. Just in time for my New Years resolution, the title of this book says it all.

In Beth's book you'll learn a lot about the food you eat and how it impacts your body all while continuing your love affair with food. What really sets this book apart from other healthy lifestyle books, is that it was written with busy moms like me in mind. With an easy-to-follow 10 part plan, meal suggestions, recipes and tips you will finally be able to to gradually make the life-style changes needed to look and feel your best.

You can Pre-order your copy of Real Moms Love To Eat and be eligible to win some amazing prizes.

Also, check out the Food Affairiate program and register to receive a digital copy of Real Moms Love To Eat for review AND be entered to win even more amazing prizes including a Top of the Line Kitchen Blender.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween

2011-11-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Voila! Limoncello.

2011-10-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Finally! I finished my limoncello this past weekend and cant wait to make another batch. Yes, it was that good!

After steeping for 40 days, you can read about that process here, I stirred together 1 3/4 Cups of water and 1 1/4 Cups of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolved. After cooling completely, I then pored the sugar syrup over my vodka mixture and let stand over night at room temperature.

The following day, I strained the limoncello through a coffee filter and discarded the lemon peels. Then it was finally ready to chill! I placed the bottle of limoncello in the freezer along with a couple of tall shot glasses (the closest thing to cordial glasses I had) and chilled for a couple hours.

Voila! Limoncello.

Well worth the wait!