Family Musings

But, I want to share these easy waffle cookies Charlotte and I made this morning. These are a super simple cookie that can be modified in many ways. Add Craisins or other dried fruit to the batter to combat the 2 sticks of butter in the recipe! Use them as a base for an ice cream sundae, instead of a cone or waffle bowl.  Make them look like snowflakes by sprinkling powdered sugar over them. Add orange extract instead of vanilla and serve with hot mandarin tea. Almond extract would also be a yummy addition. How else would you modify these yummy waffle cookies ?

Another creation from Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make I didn't have access to green pull apart licorice for the vines, so I made swirly, vine-like things from green melting chocolate. The smaller cupcakes were dipped in hot icing before getting the orange sugar. I've also made owls , corn on the cob , and rabbit hole cupcakes.

This morning Charlotte and I sat at the table having some fun with a few simple Thanksgiving activities. None of these are original to me and were pretty simple and uncomplicated for her to do. The first one I really want to share with you though is a fill-in-the blank drawing of a pilgrim girl. I am so impressed with how Charlotte filled in the blanks of her face. And, while I think this looks like a piggy little pilgrim, it is just adorable to me! Another activity we made was a "Sharing Book." This idea came 100% from Sprout Online. Charlotte wasn't as ready to share her things as I would have hoped, but then again, she is two and I was asking her to abstractly tell me what she wanted to share. In the end, she decided to share her paper (twice), sandbox (which we don't own), and her books (maybe she'll be a Reading teacher someday). To vary her access to art materials today, I busted out a glue stick and fuzzy pom poms. (I know, such variety is amazin...

I love making photo books. They are a quick and easy way to document a major event or even the small events throughout the year. Especially when you don't have any room or time for serious scrapbooking. While I like making photo books, I often need a little nudge to get them going and done. In case you are like me, you might need some help too. So here are some ideas for making a themed photo book: based on the months of the year and various activities you did in each month; an ABC book with something about your child that relates to each letter of the alphabet; or you could also use a photo book to chronicle a major event in your life, such as a vacation, wedding, or the birth of a child . And here is some more of a nudge from an email I received today... " Snapfish has launched an effort with Rachael Ray in which Snapfish is giving viewers the opportunity to receive 50% off their own customizable photo book [no limit either!] using promo code from November 25-December 2, a...

When we went to Disney for Charlotte's haircut recently, she wanted to stay for the parade. This is what happened 2 minutes before the parade started. When we went to Disney for Charlotte's haircut recently, she wanted to stay for the parade. This is what happened 2 minutes before the parade started.

The other night at the dinner table, Charlotte looked at me and asked, "What are you eating Mommy?" I replied, "a salad." She asked me again, "What are you eating Mommy?" And again, I replied, "a salad." Two more times we repeated this exchange. Finally, after she asked me for a fifth time, "What are you eating Mommy?" I started giving her silly replies. "What are you eating Mommy?" "My fork. "What are you eating Mommy?" "Mary's hands." "What are you eating Mommy?" "Paper." "What are you eating Mommy?" "Your nose." Here, Bruce interjected with his own question. "Charlotte, what are you doing?" To which Charlotte replied, "playing a game with Mommy!" That made me laugh out loud that she even knew we were playing a game. What a fun child she is!

"Grateful not only for the blessings I can count, but for the ones that can not be measured." For a few years now, I've slowly collected some Thanksgiving decorations in a frugal way by only buying them after the holiday. All with the good intentions of using them the next year. Well, you know what they say about good intentions. Good. (Because I don't, what do THEY say about good intentions?) Anyway, after a major reduction of goods was attempted when we moved to Lakeland in 2008, I fought to keep my holiday decorations on the promise that I would use them and not forget about them. Guess what happened. Yep. In 2008 I didn't decorate for Thanksgiving at all. I didn't even put up the 3' pre-lite tree I bought for Christmas. So this year, lest I be forced to give all of my Thanksgiving decorations away, I am using them. And I might even add to them when the post-Thanksgiving sales make everything 75-90% off. For those of you who are interested, here ...