Nutella Mug Cake

I made this two days ago and then again today. The recipe is easy and it turned out  to be very good, with the exception of the cup size. The first time I did it, I used a regular coffee mug (similar to the one shown) and sure enough it overflowed the cup. The second time, I used a bigger  mug and again it overflowed into the microwave.
I only micro-waved it for 2.5 minutes. Also, it is very rich and I ended up sharing mine with my son and husband so for me it was 3 servings.

Another yummy idea, is to add it to some vanilla ice cream for al a mode.
Thanks for the recipe Babble.com!

Parmesan Meatloaf (Gluten Free)

I love meatloaf. Anything I don't have to cook ahead of time and I can just mix in a bowl and put into the oven is my kind of dinner. This meatloaf was super easy and tasted amazing.
Here is what the picture from the website looked like :

This is the link to the original pin: http://mommyimhungry.blogspot.ca/2012/02/parmesan-meatloaf-gluten-free.html

Mine didn't look exactly the same:

But it worked out just fine. The only changes I made was that I used seasoned bread crumbs instead of gluten free, I didn't make my own marinara sauce and I didn't garnish with parsley.

A big change I would make next time would be to heat up a bowl of marinara sauce and pour more on the meatloaf when it was on my plate. This recipe will defiantly be added into the regular meal rotation.

Pick-A-Boo Cake

How Incredibly cute! A cake with a hidden surprise, and in any shape that you can cut out! Incredible possibilities to suit any theme. Christmas trees, little bunnies, hearts, or even Mickey Mouse.
And Mickey Mouse is just what I chose to go alone with my sons birthday party!
If you decide that you are going to have a go at this cake, I would suggest that you do a trial run before your special event because my cake was a PINTASTRAPHY!!
Within 2 minutes of putting my final cake into the oven, the uncooked cake mixture sunk around my cut out Mickey Mouse silo-wet. Soon I had green Mickey ears sticking out of the top of a cake that soon became very oddly shaped. I was very disappointed. Luckily for me a lot of icing can cover many things but it really wasn't even close to the results I was hoping for.
To be honest I would probably try this one again but this time with a much smaller and less delicate shape, as I also managed to break one of the ears with the weight of the cake batter I was poring.
So if you would like to attempt to add a surprise to the inside of your next cake, here is a link to the original Pin and I wish you good luck!
Here is a picture of my not so spectacular results.

Create your own ringtone with iTunes

This is far one of the coolest things I have found on Pinterest.
We all know that iPhones only come with about a dozen ringtones and with every third person you know owning one, your tone is never unique. artofthephone.com shows you how to turn your song library into your very own unique ringtones. It does so in easy to follow steps, without presuming you know anything about iTunes. It even shows you pictures to go along with each step.
I am no computer genius and know even less about how to get the best out of my iPhone but I managed to create my own tone with far less difficulty than I expected.
If you are sick of the same old tone but don't want to pay for a new one, definitely give this a go.

http://artoftheiphone.com/2009/01/19/how-to-create-an-iphone-ringtone-using-itunes/

Cream Cheese Frosting

Around Christmas time I did a lot of baking, and made a lot of appetisers. I ended up having 3 packages of cream cheese left over that were set to expire in may so I decided I needed to use some of it for something and I wanted cupcakes! This recipe was very simple and turned out great!
Here is the original pin: http://www.bubblecrumb.com/2011/08/28/bubblecrumbs-best-cream-cheese-frosting/

I used a cake mix for the cupcakes since I didn't have all the ingredients for cupcakes from scratch.
Here's mine:

They don't look like store quality but this was my first time making my own. They tasted awesome!

The recipe made quite a bit, I frosted 24 cupcakes and still had lots of frosting left so cutting the recipe in half would have been a good idea.

Useful things I learned from Pinterest

Have you ever had someone tell you some advice on something, and now you don't know how you ever did that task WITHOUT that info? Well since having become a Pinterest member like millions of other people in this world, that is happening to me quite often now! Here are a few of my favourite things I have learnt from Pinterest!

www.landeeseelandeedo.com

1. If you have a sick kiddo the days tend to blur together, so remembering if they've had their twice daily dose of medicine can be tricky, especially with multiple care givers involved! I saw this lovely idea while pregnant! When your kiddo is sick and they're prescribed medicine make a little table directly on the bottle or box that the medicine came in of each day they should be taking it, and how many doses a day they need, each time they take their dose mark it off! Voila! No more "Honey did you give the baby his medicine yet?" You already know!

tumblr.com/

2. With a messy, teething, drooling infant in the house, bibs are a very popular accessory! Now keeping track of all these bibs is kind of a pain. So we have a dedicated spot for the meal time bibs, our kiddo has a couple special meal time bibs- those ones with the pockets, and they just wipe clean! Rather than store them in a drawer or cupboard we hook them on the back of the highchair like so! A sticky backed hook from the local store does the trick and no loose bibs laying around.

3. If you have a family (or even just a husband or wife) you likely have TONS of important documents to keep track of. Insurance cards, social security cards, marriage certificates, diplomas, degrees, home/renter's insurance, auto insurance, and the list goes on. I've got all those too, for myself, my husband, and our son. I had a file box for them all, but no way to organise within the files. I saw this (http://kimmccrary.blogspot.com/2011/01/life-story-binder.html#.UUZehHFcKKg) on Pinterest when my son was just a couple months old, and I started our "Family Binder" then, he is now almost 1 year old and it has saved my sanity many times over! I made tabs for each of us and made copies of all our important documents, sometimes I just used the originals (but for things like social security cards and birth certificates I would just use copies and store the originals in a fire proof safe) and sorted them into their respective owner's section of the binder. I even went through the suggestions list of things to add (https://www.box.com/shared/qy19tjx4gk) and made sure everything we might need was included. I also keep information handouts our son's doctor gives us in it. It's a great resource and if you ever need to evacuate your home for any reason, all your info is in one spot (sometimes two if you have the fire proof safe) no rushing to gather random envelopes of papers. It's a great thing and only took me about an hour to put together, and it's super easy to update if needed.

Industrial strength un-poppable bubbles

Industrial strength un-poppable bubbles? I think not. I tried this recipe today thinking it would be a fun thing for us to go and do on a nice day! Well what we got was normal bubbles. They actually popped quite easily. Now I only had 1 1/2 cups of dish soap so that might have been the problem but I doubt it. I was a little disappointed that this didn't work, it seemed really cool.

Original pin: http://sublime-decor.com/2012/12/26/6-cups-water-1-cup-corn-syrup-2-cups-regular-strength-joy-dish-soap-previous-pinner-said-they-were-industrial-strength-un-poppable/

Follow us on Pinterest

We are excited to announce that you can now follow the Pins we try on Pinterest!
Simply click on the link and choose to follow with your own Pinterest account.

Badass Pinners

Apple Brownies

These are pretty good, but I would definitely NOT call them apple brownies.  When I think brownie, I am thinking of something chewy and rich and divine.  These are cake... very moist apple cake.  If you are looking for a moist delicious apple cake, then these are for you! 
Try them yourself: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/apple-brownies/

DIY Laundry Detergent

This laundry detergent is THE BEST detergent ever and I will never switch back to store bought.  Here is the link:  http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/

I spent about $24 on ingredients at Walmart and chose the tropical scented Purex crystals.  One bottle is all you need and it isn't overpowering.  The recipe made enough to fill 2 Purex crystals bottles and 6 Similac tubs.  I use the recommended amount in each load of laundry and the clothes come out cleaner than ever.  My front-load HE washer also is cleaner and doesn't have that old mildewy smell anymore.  I had two sweatshirts that I only wear around the house because they have baked in grease stains that have been there for a few years.  The first time I used this detergent on them, the grease stains were gone!  For that reason alone, I am SOLD!

Flower Balls

These looked really cute to make and seemed super easy. One problem though, I could not find pins that were all the same colour!! All I could get was rainbow coloured so I had to dip mine in white paint which was an added step but still wasn't too bad to make. This whole craft was fairly easy and looks really cool after and I imagine using all different kinds of paper for the flowers would completely change the look :)
Here is the original pin: http://www.saifou.com/entry/15382.html

Here is mine:

As I'm writing this and comparing mine to the original I think I may go back and add more flowers :)

Marshmallow Meltaways

The website that this pin goes to calls these "Resurrection Rolls" and some of the directions are a little religious, if that is what you are into then go for it! if not, feel free to skip some steps :)

Here is the original pin: http://eatatallies.com/2011/04/resurrection-rolls/

These looked and sounded very good, and easy to make which is my favourite kind of recipe.
Mine didn't look exactly like the pictures on the site but they were delicious and were devoured before the night was over. Here is what mine looked like:

I urge you to give these a shot. They look horrible but they tasted awesome.

Halloween Feet Craft

The website that this pin goes to unfortuantly doesnt show this craft anymore but I will link it anyways and I will also post the original picture. This was a really cute craft to do with the kids and required very minimal skill.
Here is the original pin: http://www.igameals.com/
and here is the original picture:

The original picture shows it done on a plate which is a cute idea but we just used paper and it was just as nice. Here is ours:

 

 

Tissue Paper Flowers

These are awesome for any party. I made pink ones for my sisters baby shower and orange and black ones for my sons Halloween themed birthday party. The problem with the pin is its all in Spanish but there are pictures for every step on how to make these and I had no issue figuring it out. If there is enough of a demand for it I can make a video tutorial.
Here is the original pin: http://www.gearsco.com/decoracion-cumpleanos-pompon-papel-paso-a-paso/

and here are my finished products (mine are flat on one side because for me they are easier to decorate like that)

See? They look good anywhere! even on the drink table!

Homemade Fruit Snacks

These turned out awesome! The mold I had was too large but I just cut them down smaller once they had set. I cant rave enough about these! Super easy and way less ingredients than store bought fruit snacks.
Here is the original pin: http://www.mommysavers.com/c/t/164335/dollar-store-crafts-homemade-fruit-snacks-from-100-juice

and here is mine:

 

I even used the same recipe to make personalised fruit snacks for my sons preschool classmates for Valentines Day :)

 

Churro Waffles

I just want to start off by saying these waffles were disappointing, I was expecting a lot better but they were decent and got eaten anyways.
Here is the original pin: http://chicachocolatina.blogspot.ca/2013/01/churro-waffles.html

<---- This is the picture from the pin. looks amazing doesn't it? I will explain my two main issues with this recipe.
1) The waffles themselves were very dry, probably because the amount of cinnamon in the batter. The recipe states "3shakes of cinnamon plus "  for the batter....what does that even mean?! I think the size of shakes depends on the person.
2) "Once fully cooked immediately pour melted butter on each side of the waffle and than dip each buttered side into your cinnamon/sugar churro mixture."  sounds easy enough right? wrong. dipping the butter covered waffle in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar just made a clumpy mess so I ended up having to scoop the mixture over the waffle and it just settled into the craters of the waffle.


To be honest, this recipe was more of a pain than it was worth. Here is my final product (without the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top because I froze these ones for future breakfasts)

 

One more tip: Do not fill the waffle iron too much or this happens...

 

 

 

Chocolate Chip Muffins

For the last few days I keep saying I am going to make muffins and something always comes up, or I get too lazy. Tonight I decided it was now or never and whipped out my baking supplies. These muffins were very easy to make and although they are oddly shaped (probably my own fault, I will explain in a minute) they taste just fine, not spectacular, but good.
Here is the original pin: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chocolate-chip-muffins-recipe/

and here is my version:

The recipe states to evenly distribute the batter into the muffin cups. Well, if I had done that, I would have ended up with large muffins and to be honest I didn't want large muffins so i just filled them about 3/4 full and that is probably why mine are oblong muffins BUT it made four more than the recipe called for so its not all bad :)

Sun Burn Treatment

http://www.instructables.com/

After a fun weekend at a local festival with my family I came home full of regret. The day was cloudy and although I already knew that clouds offer no protection from UV rays and had adamantly spent the day reapplying sunscreen on my boys and forcing their hats on to their heads, I failed to protect myself.
By night fall my skin was glowing in the dark and extremely irritated almost to the point of blistering. After itching and hurting all day, I searched Pinterest and came across a pin that had very positive feed back for many people.
The simple treatment involved applying cooled black tea to the burnt skin and leaving it on the skin over night.
Please follow the instructions provided on the link and never apply hot water onto burnt skin. This treatment is only suitable for mild burns, if you are suffering from bad burns please seek medical advice.
The immediate result was a cooling feeling, however when dressing after the treatment the scratching of material quickly returned the irritation. I did however notice that the skin became much easier to bend. And although the strong teas smell was present while applying, as it dried into the skin the smell either disappeared or a became used to it, to the point that I no longer noticed it.
The next morning I was slightly disappointed that I didn't have the remarkable results promised but there was definitely more of an improvement than there would have been had I done nothing. Still dark pink and slightly irritated by touch but my skin had certainly gotten its stretch back.
If I am silly enough to find myself in the situation again I would be please to try applying the treatment the first night of the burn and see if it was more effective as it took very little effort to do and did no harm.

Playing with Siri

Upon purchasing an iPhone 5 I came across this pin. I proceeded to spend the next hour playing with Siri. For those that don't know, Siri is software programmed into iPhones that is like having your own personal assistant. She listens to your requests and uses various components of your phone to provide you with an appropriate answer.
This pin provided me with 97 creative things to say to Siri and I must say there were some very surprising and entertaining answers. I very much enjoyed this exercise and now find myself playing with Siri more and more. If you have an iPhone I would recommend that you try this one out.

http://chasemillis.hubpages.com/hub/97-Funny-things-to-say-to-Siri

Rainbow Cake

Striking! What child could not look at this cake and gasp "Wow!" It give the appearance that a master of the kitchen has spent vast amounts of time creating this work of art. A foot tall and 6 brilliant colour!
Actually to be honest this cake is quite simple to make and although it does take several hours to create, most of that time is the cake baking itself in the oven.
I took a read of the instructions from the pin and took the following out of it: use food gel not food colouring, divide each cake batch into two separate tins to colour and bake and stack using icing.
I decided to use my own recipe for a butter cake and instead of using jelly beans, I chose to used my sons favourite, chocolate. Chocolate button, chocolate drops and chocolate M&Ms!
After stacking the cake four high, I had to wait about 10 minutes for the icing to set before stacking the next layer without it sliding. It also used a lot of icing to do all the cake. Other than that it was pretty simple. And when we cut into the cake I couldn't have been more pleased!

Here is my son's 3rd birthday cake.

Thank you to The Imagination Tree for a wonderful idea