The Candy Fairy

In our house the girls get to eat lots of candy on Halloween. They get to have as much as they want, with in reason. They then pick five piece of candy to keep and the rest are left out for the candy fairy. This year she brought them each a barbie movie and Princess Tiana (the new Disney princess from The Princess and the Frog.)

I forgot to post about the candy fairy in my Halloween post.

Our Halloween

Princess A was Cinderella, her favorite Princess.

Princess G was a lovebug. She originally was going to be Tinkerbell (seen here and here) but after I picked up this costume at Old Navy for less than $2 on Friday, she changed her mind.

Here the girls are at the first house for Trick or Treating. Every year these neighbors are the first ones we visit.

This year only one in five houses was handing out candy, usually it is about half.

Princess G only did five houses last year, this year she did about ten.

Then she was done and Daddy got to carry her home. She did ask Daddy to carry her to one more house and then they went home to hand out candy.

Princess A went one more block and back which only had another five houses handing out candy. We walked much further this year for much less candy. The girls did not mind as they like handing out the candy most of all. We did not have to many trick or treaters (most were not from the neighborhood) either so each trick or treater that came to our house got at least two large handful Princess A handfuls. All in all a great Halloween!

How to Make an Ice Cream Cake

For my birthday this year I made an ice cream cake, I have made a few ice cream cakes but this time I picked all of the flavors. I found out later my husband had ordered me a cake. He was able to cancel the order early that morning since they had not started my cake yet. Step 1: Take the pan you will bake the cake in and line with plastic wrap, make sure you have enough to fold over the top.



Step 2: Fill with the ice cream you want inside the cake, for this cake I did two flavors since it was my birthday cake I couldn't decide which flavor to use.

Let your helper sample the ice cream, just to make sure it is alright :)

Step 3: Fold plastic wrap over ice cream and flatten to make a flat ice cream disk. Since I have two 9 inch cake pans I just use the other to squish down the ice cream. (Note: I usually only fill the pan half way or for us it is two much ice cream, use the amount you like). Place the pan and ice cream in freezer for at least an hour.

Step 4: Remove the plastic wrapped ice cream from cake pan and return the ice cream disk to freezer.

Step 5: Bake cake using the pan the ice cream was frozen in.

Step 6: Once the cake is cooled I cut off the very top to make the cake flatter. Place cake in freezer while prepping ice cream.

Step 7: Pull ice cream for the frosting out of the freezer and whip about half in your mixer using the paddle attachment. Now move quickly.

Step 8: Remove cake and ice cream disk from freezer. Unwrap ice cream disk.


Step 9: Layer cake, ice cream disk and cake on top (Note the top layer should be upside down for a flat surface.)


Step 10: Frost cake very quickly using the whipped ice cream from mixer. Add more ice cream to be whipped as needed. Now in the fall and winter I can frost in one step. In warmer months I usually frost in two stages and place the cake and ice cream frosting back in freezer in between.



Step 11: Place frosted cake in freezer. Cover the cake with plastic wrap after at least an hour in freezer so the ice cream is frozen solid again.



Step 12: Before serving remove from freezer 15 to 20 minutes (adjust according to temperature) before serving.



Extra notes: I like to use french vanilla ice cream for the frosting because since it already has vanilla bean fleck if a little cake gets into the frosting no one notices.



The ice cream can be tinted different colors just add color when whipping the ice cream.



I hope this made sense, feel free to comment or contact me if you need any clarification.

Ice Cream Happy Dance

Princess G dancing with ice cream happiness!

Just so cute I had to share!

Christmas Giveaways

5 Minutes for Mom is having a huge Christmas Giveaway. Click on the button and enter some great contests.

Wordless Wednesday: Late Walk

Here is a picture from the heatwave we had over the summer. It was after nine and still so hot. The house was an oven so we took a walk.

School Fall Fest

As I mentioned our school district does not allow Halloween so instead they have a Fall Fest outside of school hours where the kids dress up in costumes!Here are the girls at the entrance to the Fall Fest. We showed up about 15 minutes after it started and they already had a huge line.
Before we hopped in line to get our carnival pass ($2 per child to play each game once) we stopped for this great photo opportunity.

The first game we found was for fishing.

They each won a bracelet.

Next was the ring toss where they won a little hopper thing.

At the next game you picked two ducks at a time until they matched and then you won a little airplane.

Princess G actually knocked down one of the milk bottles at this game. The girls are showing off the sticky spiders they won.

We then did the cake walk which you did over and over and over until you won a little snack cake. Princess G finally won on our 'last try' so of course we had to stay until Princess A won.On the next round I was about done and I looked up and said under my breath "Please pick number 21." 21, the number she was on was called, either my prayer was answered or the high schoolers running the game took pity on me because she finally won!

We had one last game tossing fake apples in buckets.

The girls then wanted to dance!!

Can you see her Halloween leggings underneath, she picked out the whole outfit by herself?

It was very crowded but fun, I am sure we will be attending next year!

Evenflo Smart Steps Review

I was sent a a variety of the new Evenflo Smart Steps. I have to say my favorites are the Insulated cup (we have the pink one) and Snack Stackers. Princess G uses the cup every night as the cup she keeps by her bed. She loves the 'clothes', the insulated part that comes off for washing. I like that since it is insulated it does not get the condensation our other sippy cups get when her sister puts ice in the cup. Princess A has been using the Snack Stackers in her lunch at school. I am using less plastic bags and since the containers are (according to the website) without Bisphenol-A (BPA) they are safer to use. Princess A did have a little trouble opening the lids by herself at first but now she has no problem. The containers as stack together so they don't sift around in her lunch as much. Our girls are a little bigger than toddlers which these are primarily designed for but as you can see even bigger kids will use them which means if you buy them for your toddlers you can still be using them many years later unlike something we purchase for our little ones. Mom Central has a post with some great tips for toddlers.

If you plan on purchasing any of these product for your own childern or a gift here is a special offer to lower the purchase price of select Smart Steps products at Babies R Us, HEB and Burlington stores!
Click Here For Coupon (note: Coupon expires 12/31/09)

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Evenflo and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

All Princess A Wants for Christmas are Two Front Teeth

Update: Tooth Fairy forgot to grab the tooth when she left the loot. No one noticed yesterday but Princess A did this morning. I almost forgot again. I am getting off the computer and grabbing that tooth!!!!!!

This evening right before dinner I hear "Mommy, Daddy, my tooth fell out!" This time there was a bit of blood as I don't think it was quite ready to come out. I can't believe my baby is missing her two front teeth or as she calls it 'her window.' Princess A was most excited that she can chew gum again, it was too painful the last week or so. The tooth fairy needs to get cracking, she still has to write a letter, find the right coins and figure out where the jewels are for the tooth fairy box Princess A made!

Happy Halloween!!!

I hope you have a fun and safe Halloween. We are going to have dinner soon and then head out to Trick or Treat!

I picked up matching PJs yesterday at Old Navy. Princess A just barely fit the 5T but I bought them thinking Princess G could wear them next Halloween.

Once in a Blue Moon Review

I was hooked on Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge right from the start. If I did not have two little girls to take care of I would have read it in one day. As it was I stayed up way to late more than one night reading. The story is about the bonds of family, family you have not seen (or in one case even known about) for years.

Excerpt
In a moment of terrible clarity, Kerrie Ann took in the squalid scene through the cops’ eyes. She saw her daughter—really saw her—for the first time in weeks: how dirty and unkempt she was and how thin she’d gotten, her ribs sticking out of her narrow brown chest like rungs on a ladder. She saw the stain on the seat of her underpants that had come from not wiping herself properly and have no one to do it for her, the crust of dried food around her mouth. When had she last fed Bella?

Kerrie Ann saw the Children’s Services logo on the card and felt herself hurtling back in time. The old nightmare playing itself over, this time with her child. Her thoughts returned to Lindsay. She still couldn't get over the fact that she had a sister. Even weirder was that she had no memory of her. How was it possible for those years to be a blank slate?

Her counselor at the clinic, Mary Josephson, a recovering heroin addict with twenty years of sobriety, suggested she call Legal Aid. Days later she had a court date. But that was only the first step.

Kerrie Anne soon discovered that good intentions weren't enough. Her resume, which listed only a string of short-term jobs, was hardly an incentive for anyone to hire her. The part-time job at Toys “R” Us was the best she could do until she got her GED and some kind of occupational training. And without full-time work, how could she afford an “appropriate” place to live? Life was a series of dominoes: Knock one down, and the rest followed suit. If she could just get her legs under her . . .

Which was where her sister came in. Lindsay was the only card she had left.

The book was wonderful and the characters felt real. One of the characters is trying to be a better person and makes mistakes. Even though I can't imagine doing any of those things I can see how they happen to her. I enjoyed the book so much I am planning on reading other books by Eileen Goudge. I love reading and read a lot of books. When I find an author I adore I always try and read all the books the author has written as I know I will enjoy them.

I was sent a copy of Once in a Blue Moon by One2One Network
facilitate this review, I was not compensated for this review besides receiving a copy of the book.

Dressed up for Halloween with out a Costume

Celebrating Halloween is not allowed in our school district. A few years ago the school district did away with Halloween as to not offend those who practice Wicca. A few people who practice Wicca were quoted as saying they did not care and that Halloween is just fun and the kids should go ahead and celebrate. We still don't have Halloween at school. No costumes are allowed. The funny thing is that the PTA put on a Fall Fest last week (will post pictures soon) after school and the kids were encouraged to dress-up. This is what Princess A wore to school today, Halloweenish but NOT a costume. She wore the Spider barrette I made a few days ago, purple halloween shirt, black skirt and orange/black striped tights. Princess G goes to a private pre-k so she did get to dress up. Is Halloween allowed at your kids' schools? I have such fond memories of dressing up for school, the costume parade, the costume contest per grade, and lastly the party!! I think that we go to far sometimes to be politically correct.

It is just HALLOWEEN!

October Oral Care Challenge

Our family took the October Oral Care challenge. For two weeks we brushed, flossed and used Listerine everyday. For the girls the first rinsed with Listerine Agent Cool Blue Tinting rinse. They both thought it was so cool that it would give their teeth a bluish tint. They each brushed on their own and then it was my turn. The first few nights there were a few blue spots they had missed that I brushed for them. After a few days I did not see and blue left on their teeth. I still brush their teeth after them but it was nice to see how well they are getting at brushing. Next I use a Reach Flosser (we were sent a new one but everyone in our family already had one) to floss the girls teeth. It makes it so much easier to floss when I don't have to try and fit my fingers in their little mouths. We were also a small sample of the Listerine Smart Rinse to use after brushing. Princess G loved it and asks for it every night. Princess A did not like it but did say she would use it once a week. The girls then proudly place a sticker on there chart. I think the tooth shaped stickers were their favorite part. After two weeks it has become a habit and now we automatically floss every night. The only night we did not do the whole routine was the night we spent in Seattle for my birthday and that was because I was not going to bring the big bottle of rinse.

My husband and I were also sent some tooth care items. I especially liked the Listerine Total Care. My husband has been using it for a while but I just never tried it. After finally trying it for this challenge I liked how much cleaner my mouth felt. I usually don't remember to wait the full thirty minutes before drinking anything but I am getting better.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Listerine and Reach and received Listerine and Reach products for the Oral Care Challenge and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

How to Make Spider Barrettes

I made this oh so cute spiders for the girls yesterday.

I thought they would be perfect Halloween barrettes.

Materials:

5 black pipe cleaners

1 french barrette (optional)

2 eyes

Remove the extra metal part of the barrette and bend one pipe cleaner in half.

Find middle of pipe cleaners and place barrette parallel to pipe cleaners.

Wrap the bent pipe cleaner around the middle of the four pipe cleaners and the barrette.

Continue wrapping the the pipe cleaner completely around the barrette.

Add eyes, bend legs to look like a spider and add metal part back in barrette.

The girls liked them so much I made them each a spider barrette and each an extra one to play with.

Thank you B. Jane Brewing for this great idea and My Trendy Tykes for sharing the link on her blog.

Grosgrain: Becky Mae Poppy Fields Necklace and Earring Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Becky Mae Poppy Fields Necklace and Earring Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!