B's First Birthday Cake!

So, i FINALLY finished my niece's cake.  It took me FOREVER to finish and had quite a few set backs, but I think it turned out ok.  I was originally going to cover it in fondant, but it kept melting in this southern heat, so I ended up covering it in buttercream frosting.  The cake is a butter yellow cake, buttercream frosting, and fondant decor.

4.5 lbs. of fondant = workout for the day

What a slow, uneventful day.  The kids are at their grandparents, I slept in this morning, and I made a 4.5 lbs. batch of marshmallow fondant/daily workout.  Phew!  Can still feel the burn.  Haha!

I;m making a birthday cake for my niece's first birthday; how exciting!  It'll be my first time to make a girly cake, and my sister gave me free-reign on the decorating!  Awesome?!  YES!  I definitely think pink is in order :)

So, while you wait for pictures of the final product, here's an AWESOME marshmallow fondant recipe!

This recipe makes about 2 1/4 lbs of fondant (i doubled just to be safe)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided

Directions

1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

I'm super excited about this cake :) Stay tuned for the final product!

P-P-P-Plant Pals!

Found this awesome craft that I'm totally going to do with the boys-- ok, maybe even one or two for myself :)  You can check out the original craft post here

Plant Pals!

Materials

• One 9- or 12-ounce plastic cup
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups of potting soil

• 1 tablespoon of grass seeds (we bought rye grass at a garden center)
• Decorations, such as office dot stickers, markers, and ribbon (for safety, it should measure less than 6 inches long)

Instructions

1. Fill the cup halfway with soil. Divide the remaining soil in two, then have your child measure the seeds and stir them into one of these halves.Tip: To speed germination, you can first soak the seeds in water overnight.
2.  Spoon the seed-filled soil into the cup, then top it with the remaining soil (this final layer should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep). Water the soil well.
3.  Let your child decorate the cup with stickers and markers. Finally, leave the plant in a warm, sunny spot to sprout. Water as necessary to keep the soil about as wet as a damp sponge

Did you try this craft?  Let us know how your kids loved it!

So, there's this thing called a coupon...

You may have heard about it.  Apparently it's become quite the craze, especially Extreme couponing.  I have a new coupon section in the works right now and you'll see it here soon!

I've added a poll to the side bar of this blog -- check it out and vote!

Looking for coupons?  Check out my friend's Coupon Trader Facebook page HERE!

Keep Him Strapped In!

Hey everyone!  Sorry for the absence.  I've been trying to get things settled and on schedule now that Corey, my husband, is working third shift.  It's really throwing us ALL off, but hopefully soon we'll be back to "normal".

So, I saw a video tonight and honestly, I bawled my eyes out watching it.  We switched our 4.5 year old, 40+ pound son to a convertible booster seat, convertible meaning it's a booster seat with a back and a 5-point harness.  We chose to use the seat as a booster.  After watching this video we're going to be switching his seat back to a 5-point harness.  I simply cannot imagine ever losing my child, especially if I could have done something to avoid it.

Watch this video, share it with your friends, and love on your little ones a little extra today.

Check out these guidelines for car seat safety:


Newborns/Toddlers-  Car seat type: Infant seats and rear-facing convertible seats General Guidelines: All infants and toddlers should ride in aRear-Facing Car Safety Seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer.


Toddlers/Preschoolers- Car seat type: Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harness  General Guidelines: All children 2 years or older, or those younger than 2 years who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car safety seat, should use a Forward-Facing Car Safety Seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer.


School-aged children- Car seat type: Booster seats General Guidelines: All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a Belt-Positioning Booster Seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.


Older Children- Car seat type: Seat belts  General Guidelines: When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use Lap and Shoulder Seat Belts for optimal protection.

All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the Rear Seats of vehicles for optimal protection.

**There are car seats that allow you to use a 5-point harness up to 80 lbs.  One such seat is the Britax Regent.  Please keep your child in a 5-point harness until he or she can no longer fit the weight and height requirements.