Canadian Mom Blogger - Product Reviews, Travel and Parenting
I am a huge fan of holiday-themed crafts and treats, but for the most part I like them to be quick and easy. That’s why I love these fun heart shaped cupcakes! No special pan needed; just whip up your favourite cake batter, bake and decorate! The secret? Crumpled balls of aluminum foil in an ordinary muffin tin!
A muffin tin, paper liners, cake mix and crumpled balls of foil…all you need for heart shaped cupcakes!
Halloween is one of my very favourite holidays and each year I look forward to finding new fun activities for my boys and me to enjoy. This year, Kellogg’s decided to give us a little help with a fun Halloween-themed Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats kit! Containing Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, marshmallows, Halloween cookie cutters and decorating supplies, it was the perfect way to get in the mood for some spooky fun!
The boys were so excited by the assortment of candies we received for decorating!
I made the squares while Zackary was at school and then let both boys decorate a pumpkin and a bat with the icing and candies that the kit contained. Of course, they went a little overboard; Zackary’s shapes were hard to see underneath the candy he’d piled on top! But both boys had so much fun that I just let them enjoy themselves. After all, Halloween only comes once a year! [Read more...]
There’s a chill in the air and the leaves are starting to change in many parts of the country. You can almost hear the witches cackling, ghosts wailing and skeleton bones rattling…Halloween is just around the corner! Because Halloween is only the beginning of the holiday season, it’s easy to go overboard on spending – a costume here, a few bags of candy there…it can add up quickly. It’s important to remember that the holidays really start to ramp up on the heels of Halloween. There is the cost of travelling, hosting guests, large holiday meals, decorating, parties, and gifts that come along with Thanksgiving and Christmas or Hanukkah. I certainly don’t bring this up to stress you out, but just to remind you to keep a close eye on your holiday budget, starting with Halloween.
Here are a few ways to have a low-cost Halloween without skipping any of the fun!
A popular money saving tip is to make your own costumes. I think this is a great idea but I don’t suggest immediately heading to the fabric store. My talented friends who sew costumes for their children tend to spend more than those who grab something at the local superstore. Of course the homemade outfits are often works of art that are lovingly created and last for years in the dress-up box, so if you love to sew then go for it! Just don’t force yourself to wrestle with fabric and thread because you think it’s the cheapest way to go.
For a truly inexpensive costume, head to your closets. You can likely pull together a great costume using mainly items you already have. Look for inspiration on Pinterest, Etsy and online costume stores, then create your own version at home. My daughter wants to be a witch this year and I found some great ideas online. A black shirt, black and white striped leggings, purple boots and a purple tutu she already has will be the base of the costume. I’ll add a witch hat tied with a purple ribbon and some black tulle to the tutu. There you go, a great costume for well under $10! [Read more...]
Since having kids, my cleaning has gone from non-existent to a pretty solid routine. Once a day, I pick up the kitchen and living room, sweep and do a quick vacuum. Twice a week, I wash the dishes. And every Friday morning is dedicated to doing a big, thorough clean including washing laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, washing floors and tidying the boys’ bedrooms.
Most days I finish the chores and go right back to taking care of my boys or working on my computer. But that big Friday clean is exhausting and when I’m done cleaning the mirrors and wiping down the sinks with Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, I feel like I’ve earned something special. So when Friday evening rolls around, it’s time to reward myself! [Read more...]
For some families, school has started again for another year and for others, that momentous first day is just a few weeks away. Of course, there are binders, pencils and notebooks to be purchased for the new school year, but there are also lunches to plan! Coming up with creative and healthy lunches that kids are excited about eating isn’t always easy so Earth’s Best Organic has some great tips to make the job easier:
[Read more...]
Last month was the end of the very first round of the Earth’s Best Blogger program but to my surprise and delight, I was offered the chance to participate in the second round as well! That means that from now until December, I’ll have the chance to blog about all kinds of fabulous new Earth’s Best Organic products and I can’t wait.
For example, just this past month, Earth’s Best and Sesame Street released a brand new organic veggie variety to their line of Earth’s Best™ Crunchin’ Crackers® Wholesome Snacks. Currently available in original and cheddar varieties, each cracker is shaped like Sesame Street® friends Big Bird and Elmo. [Read more...]
If you are anything like me and you sometimes find it tricky to find activities to keep your kids occupied during the holidays or weekends, why not make weekends more exciting by doing some cooking and crafts? On a Saturday afternoon when the kids are desperate for entertainment, put on your apron and get messy with some spooky Halloween treats! I will show you how to whip up some choco-spiders and brain clusters; sweet treats that are fun to make and much cheaper than buying novelty Halloween sweets.
Choco-Spiders – Carefully separate the two halves of a chocolate Oreo and place a spoonful of cool melted milk chocolate on one half. This is a messy job which your kids will love so while they get their fingers sticky, you can have a five minute sit-down and play Cheeky Bingo, read a book or have a cup of tea. Place a few liquorice strands into the chocolate and trim to look like little legs before sandwiching the cookies back together. Spread more melted chocolate on the top cookie and stick on two mini M&Ms for eyes. And there you have it, spooky chocolate spider treats.
Brain Clusters – Simply melt butter and pink marshmallows in a pan. Once the mixture has cooled, gently mix into a bowl of ready-popped popcorn. The mixture will be very sticky, but a dab of butter rubbed between your palms will make it easy to shape with your hands. Take a small handful and roll it into a ball. Allow to set in the fridge and you will have a pink, misshapen, lumpy cluster that looks just like a brain.
Graveyard Cupcakes – The only ingredients you will need are some mini chocolate cupcakes, green frosting and a thin slab of milk chocolate. Just dye your frosting green and spread it on the cup cake. Break a piece of chocolate into a rectangle shape and push it vertically into the cake so it resembles a headstone. For the perfect finishing touch, write RIP on the chocolate using a white frosting pen.
Happy eating!
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