DIY Cooking at Home

You may have seen a pin or two on Pinterest illustrating the "marble in the muffin tin trick" to making heart-shaped cupcakes last Valentine's Day. Welllll...we tried it. And here's what I have to say about that: a picture is sometimes NOT worth a thousand words. So here's a word to the wise for all you Pinterest junkies out there. If you want to try something, take 2 minutes to follow the pin to its source in order to get full instructions. But in this case, it seemed pretty self-explanatory. Stick a marble between the cupcake liner and muffin tin, and voila! Heart-shaped cupcakes to delight the youngsters! I didn't have marbles so we balled up tin foil instead. Then I filled the cups too full so that when they baked, the heart shape was totally lost. I didn't even take a picture because why bother staging the photo and worrying over lighting for a total flop? (Afterwards, I Googled the idea again and came across this site that gave some helpful...

Yes, we've had 80 degree days here in northern Ohio already this year, but call me crazy, that just felt a little freakish. I prefer seasons to feel like they should, thank you very much. This week, the wind is cold but the sun is shining, and all is as it should be in April. So, the girls and I pulled on some rain boots and jackets, and armed with scissors, my camera, and a basket, we trekked out to the back yard to cut some daffodils. As the girlies have gotten older, devoting time to my projects and pasttimes has gotten a little easier (in some ways.) That is, I no longer have to figure out how to do everything one-armed because I have a baby on my hip; however, I DO have to worry about their safety as they get braver and more independent, and I DO have to break up squabbles more often. (As in, "Mama! I sat on the counter the last time we baked. It's MY turn to stand on the chair!") But nevertheless, I love to involve them when I can, and turn my projects i...

Hi there, everyone, hope you're having a great day! It's unseasonably warm here today for the last day of January, but I'm comin' at ya with some fun Valentine's Day crafts anyway. Martha is always good for a do-able idea or two. Here are a couple: Lollipop Heart Flowers Doily Flower Cards Meet the Dubiens gives a way to turn fingerprint hearts into a "love blossom" tree! Or paint their whole little hands for this cute keepsake (also from Meet the Dubiens .) Parents Magazine suggests making cute cards using letter blocks you probably already have. Make some heart-shaped cupcakes without a special baking pan.

Looking for ways to enjoy the Christmas season with your kids? I never seem to have a problem coming up with ideas, but it always seems we run short on time to fit it all in. So we started a new tradition this year: the Christmas Jar. I cleaned out an old olive jar and removed the label, tied a red ribbon around it, and cut up slips of scrapbooking paper on which to write activities. I let the girls draw a slip of paper from the jar on the mornings when I know we can devote some time to something fun and Christmas-y. I don't strive to fill each day with something, because sometimes we're busy enough with just regular tasks and appointments. So the night before, I stategically select 3 or 4 things I know we can accomplish. That way, whatever they pick will fit into our day instead of the other way around. This also lets me take into consideration things like weather. Anyway, here are the ideas I used: Have hot chocolate Take a drive to see Christmas lights Buy candy cane...

Do you get Family Fun magazine? If you like to make things with your kids in the kitchen or at the craft table, this mag has a wealth of original, inexpensive, ideas. I often even find a kid craft that's pretty enough to display in the house proudly, like this leaf mobile . I mean, let's face it, we love our kids but maybe would like our homes to look stylish, too, and some of the "crafts" we make here at our house don't exactly blend with the decor. But this mobile added just enough fall to our family room, which is primarily green and blue, making it hard to incorporate fall colors without looking crazy. (Come to think of it, how am I going to decorate for Christmas this year? Hmmm...) Anyway, the instructions for the leaf mobile are here . Except for the fact that clear contact paper can drive a sane woman mad, this was super simple and the kids loved helping me collect the leaves from around the neighborhood. I just happened to have a roll of the darn...

This cute craft from The Ivy Cottage packs a one-two punch: it's kid-friendly AND seasonal. I love finding fun things to do with our kids for each holiday. Creating decorations that we can unearth each year are especially great because it will remind us of the time we spent creating them together. I had originally thought I'd try this and put it on our front door but then...it might not hold up to the elements. Come to think of it, the candy corn is perishable I suppose. Should we consider spraying it with clear-coat to seal out moisture? Anyway, I love the idea!