Making Colorful Chocolate Bark...

Could anything be better then painting and chocolate? I mean, I know there are far better things but during this very moment that answer is no. :-)

I melted a bag of white chocolate,pulled out the paint brushes and gel food dye...then went to town. It's like spring has sprung on each little broken piece!

I have to say that getting artsy is something I always try to make time for, even if the times are getting farther and fewer. It's an outlet for me, and something fun I can do with my girls. I don't want to neglect that simply because I "dont' have time"...so here is to doing more things that make you happy and also eating more chocolate along the way! lol

colorful fun in the tub...

Oh bath time. It's kind of one of my favorite things...not just for my kids but for me too. I LOVE baths; I actually take one every.single.night. Some people don't understand that, but it's just something I do before bed. It's my "wind down time".

Anyways, now that I gave you some unwanted information about my bed time routine here's some information you might actually want to know...bath time can be just as fun for your kids as it can be for you!

Here's how:

Take a shallow pan, fill it up with a little milk, and than add a few drops of food dye. Give the kiddies a popsicle to eat in the bath, and when they're done they can use the stick to swirl the milk around. 

It makes for a beautiful display of twisted tye-dye colors. Then, just when you think the fun is over they start painting the tub walls and themselves (which normally, I'd be a little OCD about but since it's in the tub I couldn't care less). When they're done, it's a simple scrub away from being clean again; including their little bodies. We've been using this new soap and love it!

Mixed Berry Dumpling Cobbler...you're welcome :-)

Its quite simple really, as much as I love DIY's and other colorful projects around the house, my true passion lies in baking. I love a good dessert/meal but most of all I love sharing it with neighbors and friends (well, if it passes my TLC criteria: Taste, Look, Consistency). I can't be giving out nasty, ugly desserts?!

The smells, the colors, and the memories of making something that everyone can enjoy through tasting really just razzles my berries, if you know what I mean.

Speaking of berries, this dessert is always a go to when Fall is around the corner! It's a major "comfort food cobbler" perfect for the season. It never disappoints. Well, unless served without ice cream; but I mean, you probably already knew that?!

The colors are amazing with this dessert too (actually we may have eaten it for breakfast too...hey don't judge, it has bisquick and berries so it's absolutely justifiable).

 ^^^it never lasts long...never, ever^^^

^^^this is just to prove that I really do share...sometimes?!^^^

MIXED BERRY DUMPLING COBBLER
-2 pkg. frozen mixed berries (without strawberries, they're too chunky)
-2 cups sugar
-1/4 cup butter
-3 pkg. 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 2 1/4 cup Bisquick
-2/3 cup milk
-3/4 cup oats

In saucepan bring berries, 1 cup sugar and butter to boil---stirl gently until butter and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth than add 2/3 cups milk. Stir in Bisquick and oats. Press 2/3 of  batter in the bottom of a greased  9x13 pan. Than pour berry mixture over and dollop the rest of batter on top. Cook at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve warm with icecream!

Party Table Color Schemes

My one and only blondie sister is getting hitched in May...so my other sister is taking the reigns on the bridal shower and we are trying to conjur up a few color palette ideas. Here are some of my favorites...thought I'd throw it out there for you to give your opinion. I tend to go more for corals and pinks...with yellows and greens. It's crazy how much you can do with a few good group of colors, aint it?! :-)

photo cred:  pic1   ////    pic2    ////     pic3     ////     pic4      ////     pic5

Conversation Heart Necklace...cute and edible (best of both worlds)

I had this weird idea of softening up some conversation hearts, poking a hole through the center, and stringing them on fishing wire to make a necklace. So, I tried it...and it TOTALLY worked?!?! It's times like these, when my ideas DON'T go down the pooper as an ultimate failure, that I find myself smiling ear to ear with gloating glee!

Here's the how-to and a few pictures to prove that yes, indeed my three year old and I wore matching edible conversation heart necklaces...beads included! I am so glad that having a toddler totally justifies making things like this...and really she is the whole reason behind these ideas so it's a win win! :-)

DIRECTIONS:

-Line hearts (about 5-7  at a time, because they harden fast and they have to be soft to poke a hole through) on a baking sheet and put in oven for exactly 1 1/2 minutes (no more, no less...) at 400 degrees 

-Right when they come out of the oven, have your needle ready and pull it through the center

-Once they're cool, simply string them on and wear/eat to your hearts content! 

***adding beads just gives it a nice touch!

make sure you don't leave them in longer than 1 1/2 minutes otherwise this happens...

 ^^^it just brought out the kissable, lovable, infatuation they have for one another...

(don't let those faces fool you...this lasted about two secs & then Cozy was trying to eat Sage's neck off)

^^^...but i didn't mind...a kiss for a lick... :-)

Coloring A Bird House...

I ran into Joannes Fabric Store to grab a few swatches, and came out with a bag full of little DIY crafts that my three year old could play with. Let's just say, she is weaning off the good ole' afternoon nap and I am sort of in denial about it. Nap time is like my sanity time...and so with that said I have been trying to find ways to occupy her during the afternoon while my other babe is in dreamland. Not that easy of a task!

However, we got this little wooden birdhouse for $5 and we had so much fun painting it all sorts of bright colors ("poko-fots" included).  She than went on a search to find the perfect spot...I just had to document it all. Such a simple thing, made her so very happy! 

Who knows, maybe this whole no-nap gig will lead to a lot of unnecessary, but super fantastic projects with my little three year old! So I guess with that, I'd say denial is over ruled :-).

 

Huckleberry Pancakes...does a body good!

WARNING: THIS POST MAY CAUSE SERIOUS SALIVATION

A dear, sweet, wonderful friend and neighbor of mine left for Sandpoint Idaho about two weeks ago. Well she just got home, and along with her she brought fresh huckleberries that she picked herself (I know...right?!), a jar of huckleberry jam, AND a bottle of huckleberry syrup just for me (oh and for my little family *wink)! My jaw dropped when she came bearing these gifts; it was the sweetest (literally) thing ever!

Last night we had huckleberry sundaes (just a few scoops of ice cream with a little bit of syrup and berries on top); and yesterday morning it was huckleberry pancakes! Since everything seems to taste a little better when you eat outside...we decided to do just that for breakfast and eat out in the fresh air (and by "we" I pretty much mean "I" *haha).

I can't believe the color of these tiny little berries...and the stains that come along with it! How I wish I had a huckleberry bush right outside my home--they really are so delicious (even sagey girl couldn't shovel them in her mouth fast enough...)