Earth Day Goodies!

Stephanie Lynn @ Under the Table and Dreaming did SUCH a cute post with some great ideas for snacks/treats for the kiddies for tomorrow (Earth Day)  It just happens to be Ramsey's day for snacks at preschool so I thought I would try to whip some up.. Mine are not nearly as good lookin' as hers.. head over there to see her goodies!

I did mini muffins so I couldn't use the same process she did. First I made the batter (lemon blueberry this time) seperated it about 2/3 and 1/3, 2/3 blue and 1/3 green.. with my batter colors ready I used 1/2 Tablespoon measuring spoon to put a dallop of blue in each mini pan, then I filled a plastic disposable pastry bag with the green, no tip required!  I made a weird little design on each of the blue and then "filled" the mini muffins up with the green, just stuck the pastry bag below the surface and squeezed until they were all about the same size.. so the insides will be mostly green, the outsides mostly blue. Baked according to directions!  ooh and I didn't add any blueberries to the green, only the blue batter.

Happy Earth Day tomorrow!!

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Done with Finnley's room, for now anyway!

I can't decide on a paint color! But everything else is as done as it is getting, until I get some more inspiration!

I got the subway art idea from Kat at here is her post on it..She got the idea from tatertots and Jello. I changed it a little, I used brown with vanilla paper and I used the cricut machine to do my words! But I love how it turned out, I used his initials, his birth weight and date, his nickname (little bird, thanks to his big sister) and some other random words and a couple that have other meanings to us! I had a LOT of fun making this and I think it was fun to include his baby stats into it! I like that it is simple but looks good in his room! I am sure I will find something small to go on either side, not sure what exactly, because I don't want to get too much going on, I don't want it to look busy!  Two more pictures of the Subway art, not the crib, and in different lighting.

Ikea dresser.. could they get any more plain in shape? I love how simple the shape is but the fun red color! The picture does NOT do it justice! (we have 2 of this same one we liked it so much!)

When he outgrows his crib ( our other 2 were out of their cribs by about 15 months) I plan on getting THIS bed from Ikea.. I like how simple it is and can go with anything, if for some reason he decides he isn't into cowboy stuff!!

Alright that is it for now.. Any cowboy ish ideas y'all want to share, I would LOVE to hear em!

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Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party for 2!

Our older 2 kids are 2 years and 1 day apart so they have shared a birthday party the last 3 years. Luckily it has been easy to find unisex themed stuff they both like! Yo Gabba Gabba is a favorite show here.. It is just now starting to get popular enough for there to be party supplies, but they are hard to find and SPENDY! I did splurge and get a package of the radio gift boxes (even though we didn't use them for that purpose) and the radio piñata.

First let me share who took these pics!! Michelle at Casual Camera Photography and Stephanie at Memories by Stephanie

I was trying to keep it mellow and not do too much! The cupcakes are just a box mix ( I know.. totally cheating!) Rainbow chip.. since the colors match all the Gabba Land Characters! And I just used cool whip for the topping.. since there was PLENTY of sugar without extra frosting!

Rainbow licorice in coordinating colors.. clear plastic paint bucket from the craft store.

Mini water bottles and ribbon with Gabba Land friends on them!

White Chocolate dipped Marshmallows with jimmy's (stuck in the favor boxes!)

The kids played Pin the Eye on Muno (He only has one Eye!) I just got some craft paper and free hand cut him out (which is why his arms are SOO uneven)

The pinata was HARD to get open.. but once it did..

Not sure why, but as soon as our oldest turned 4.. it's nearly impossible to get a picture of him.. Lovin this one though!

Our little Birthday Girl just couldn't wait for her candle to be lit and the singing to get over with.. and check out that hand.. Funny thing is she had 1 sucker in EACH hand while she is licking her cupcake!

You can see in the picture above some FREE Yo Gabba Gabba downloadable coloring pages from Nick Jr.com!  We had those out on the table for the kids to color in between or while they were having their goodies!

No pictures of the goodie bags.. but I went simple and used plain lunch bag style in the Gabba friends colors.. Each bag had a Yo Gabba Gabba CD and some other goodies!

I have a feeling this was our last joint party.. sniff!  They are both already talking about next year.. and they are NOT on the same path! 

The baby is 6 months old.. I should probably get to work on his party!

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Chocolate Chip Walnut Bacon Cookies

A little crazy but YUM!

A girlfriend was making Chocolate Dipped bacon as a treat for Easter and  it made me think I could do it in a cookie.. THEN I saw on a blog today someone else did a cookie.. so I figured I needed to try something! I cheated (and I don't even feel a little bad about it) and used a Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix (dry, in the bag, not refridgerated) I added the ingredients as the package said, but I also added 1C. chopped walnuts and 5 STRIPS OF CRISPY COOKED BACON! YES bacon! mixed it all together and cooked as directed on package.. Probably my new favorite treat! The bacon adds just a little salty, crunchy yumminess!!   Go on.. Try it!!

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It's still not finished.. but getting there!

Slowly coming along in the baby's room!




So far I have convinced the big ones to help me sort all the toys and toss/donate the ones that are missing peices or that haven't been played with in a while. The closet used to hold one of these

 Which was full of books, pretend food and lots of puzzle pieces. It worked well, fit in the closet and doesn't interfere with the clothes but it sure made that THE playroom. Decided to empty it and take it out and downstairs where we have a large closet it fits nicely in the side of and we can avoid toys all over 5 rooms (hopefully just 3 now!) With the storage unit out I moved the play kitchen in the closet, the kids still play with it, it isn't taking away space from the baby's room AND I can close the closet and all the toys in it and pretend it's not there when it is really messy!



My mother in law made a wonderful cowboy themed quilt that is all the colors I was hoping to tie into the room! A chocolate and pale brown, some dark red and blue. The Bumper was something we found would be helpful after he got his helmet! He was rubbing his helmet on the rails and I think it was waking him up some at night, not to mention the arms and legs out the rails aren't the best for sleeping! The bumper is soft minky material and plain! There was a "coordinating" EXPENSIVE dust ruffle and the colors weren't exact, that would really have bugged me.. so I just bought some cow print, soft furry on sale fabric and put it under the crib.. good enough and just a little cow print was enough for now!

The curtains were on clearance for 3 bucks for the pair, they are tab top, not really my thing, but I had the bandana's on before and they cover the tabs nicely!

The wagon lunchbox was a Real Deals score, clearance and right now it has his pacifiers in it, even though, he hasn't used one in months! The rope border has been up for a year and a half or so now.. I just nailed it into the wall every foot or so, and when they were loops, to hold them in. The pillow is a Real Deals goodie, it says "Mind your manners" and the metal BEHAVE sign above the closet was at a local craft store.

The chest fits perfect.. ( even though the picture is HORRIBLE, I had "help" taking that one) I don't know how we got so lucky with that! It was a wedding gift and now holds all the toys the big ones have outgrown but we wanted to keep for the baby, and clothes he has yet to grow into. I am hoping I can find time to make a cushion for the top, the biggin's love to sit and read on it.. I don't see that changing anytime soon and I want to encourage them to "read" to their little brother!

I still need to repair the walls and paint.. or get some help painting. This weekend is going to be too nice to be inside though!  I need some help finding something for above the crib which is also the biggest wall. Reasonably priced is the hard part for me! Any ideas from y'all would be wonderful!

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