Stuffed Bunny Ear Transplant

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Summer vacation is rough!!! I (laughably) thought it might be easier this year because I actually downsized from being with 20 kids all day to just 5. Hahahahaha! Dealing with 5 of my own kids is entirely different. They aren't used to being with each other all day so they need to reestablish the pecking order. It is taking longer than usual with the hormones raging in this house these days (oh, just a sample of what is to come, I know!) Now we have a heat wave and my car is in the garage. It has been quite the week! So, if you are wondering where I have been, I am probably hiding- locked in my bedroom and curled up in the fetal position with a bag of chocolate chips.

OK. Not really.

I have ice cream.

Every now and then I get ambitious/drink extra coffee and try do something fun. Last week we went on our planned shopping excursion, but it took until 2pm or so to get them to clean their rooms so we could leave. Our first stop was the thrift store for a very specific purpose- bunny ears. The kids are waking up right now so I am going to let my 9yo do a little guest posting and tell you about it!

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I have a stuffed bunny named Twinkle Toes. It is a Beanie Boo that has the same birthday as me. My aunts' dog chewed off my bunnies' ears. They don't make these bunnies anymore so we couldn't get a new one. My mom and I decided to go to the thrift store to find new ears. I found the perfect bunny. It's ears were backwards! We all went home and mom washed the bunny. A few days later, my mom seam ripped what was left of the ears on Twinkle Toes. She also cut the ears off of the 2nd bunny. She sewed the ears on Twinkle Toes. We even added a pink flower! AGAIN, MOM SAVES THE DAY!!!!!!!!!

beanie-boo-missing-earsbunny-ear-transplanttwinkle-toes-after

Thank you for posting for me today, Lydia! I am happy that I could fix your bunny for you!

Rustic Winter Pine Cone Centerpiece

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After all of the Christmas decorations are put away the house can seem a little cold and empty. I wanted to create some neutral, rustic, winter decor to fill the gap a bit. I have a few Valentine's Day decorations, but if I put pink all over the place I would start a pretty big fight in this house since we have strong opinions on both sides about that color. Instead, I went with more natural elements (free stuff I gathered outside) for sort of a rustic, winter look.

pine cone box centerpiece

The first thing I made was this pine cone centerpiece. My husband had built me a box that will hold mason jars for a centerpiece. I had yet to fill it with anything and I was inspired by a centerpiece on Pinterest that has a bad link. I stained my box with a weathered gray stain and topped it with dark walnut antiquing wax.

winter pine cone centerpiece

I found two pillar candles in a cupboard. They aren't even the same color, but I don't care.

natural winter centerpiece

Next, my daughter and I went for a walk and collected pine cones. They were wet from being outside, so we baked them in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or two on a foil lined cookie sheet. This makes them open up and draws out the sap and bugs. I spray painted them with a little ivory just to dust them and give them a frosty coating.

how to bake pine cones
How to open pine cones

Finally, we arranged everything in the box with some white berry picks. Those were on clearance after Christmas and the only thing I had to actually buy for this project.  I really think arranging everything in the box was the hardest part. I also dabbed a bit more white paint on the edges of the pine cones for more contrast.  Some of the pine cones went missing before I took these pictures, too. ;)

DIY frosted pine cones
rustic winter centerpiece box

I like my little box and it will be fun to change it out with the seasons. It isn't perfect, but the girls got to help and we made do with what we could find.

I have a few more rustic, winter decorating projects that I will blog about later this week!

Freezer Pancake Breakfast Sandwiches

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freezer2Bmcgriddles.jpg

I am not really a morning person.

My husband gets up really, really early for work and knows better than to try to wake me up lets me sleep. In appreciation for this, I try to make sure that he has something that he can grab for breakfast. These pancake breakfast sandwiches are his favorite! It is basically like a McGriddle from McDonald's. Except I know what is in these.

I like to make a big batch of them at once and put them in the freezer so that he can microwave them before he leaves for work. I do a lot of multitasking so it saves on cooking time, too.

Here are some of the things that I do to make this work:

  • Make your pancakes a little thick so that the syrup soaks in and it is a better sandwich size. 
  • Use a cookie scoop to put the batter on the griddle. It keeps them all about the same size.  
  • When they are cooked and cooled slightly, match them in pairs. Place one pancake on a plate. and pour about a tablespoon of maple syrup in the center. Quickly put the other pancake on top and flip the pancakes over so that it runs down into the second pancake, too. It might get a little messy, but you can use the next pair of pair of pancakes to wipe the plate off and soak up any excess syrup.
  • I used ham lunchmeat this time because I got a good deal on it locally. However, bacon or sausage patties would also be delicious. Bacon is, of course, his favorite.
  • Assemble the sandwiches and wrap them in a bit of Glad Press'n'Seal. It is a bit thicker than plastic wrap, so it makes it a little easier for him to eat on the go.
  • Place all of the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer bag so that they aren't getting lost in your freezer. Although, that has happened and it is a nice surprise if I find it in time.
  • To reheat, vent the Press'n'Seal and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Be careful!
These are great because I get to sleep in and he gets a nutritious breakfast. It also saves a lot of money vs. him stopping to get breakfast on his way to work.
Do you have any tips to make breakfast a little easier? I would love to hear about it!
UPDATE! I found a faster and healthier way to make the eggs for these sandwiches! See it HERE!
Link Parties where I sometimes hang out...