Santa Hat Mini Brownie Bites #BakeInTheFun

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #BakeInTheFun #CollectiveBias

I love baking during the holidays! I grew up baking with my mom and siblings 

and we especially loved making treats to share with friends and family. My mom 

learned from her mom how to make delicious treats and I love that she passed it 

on to me. Now it's my turn to make delicious treats during the holidays and we 

can share with friends and family. It is so fun to get my kids in on the baking 

and creating. They really love helping and delivering the goodies to their friends.

 My Isabella loves to do the grocery shopping with me for the ingredients for our

holiday treats. So, we headed to Walmart to do some shopping and find the
perfect ingredients for our Santa Hat Mini Brownie Bites! We found the
Pillsbury™ Family Size Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix, 
Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Vanilla Flavored Frosting
and M&M’S® Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Baking Bits on baking 

aisle. We grabbed all three and headed home to bake.

First, we mixed up the Pillsbury™ Family Size Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
and used our mini ice cream scoop to spoon it into the mini muffin pan. I used
cupcake liners on half of them and the other we didn't use liners. I wanted liners
and Isabella didn't, so we compromised and it worked perfectly. After we baked
them we let them cool on the cooling rack and then got to decorating.

Next, we used a decorating tip to pipe the red hats onto the mini brownie bites.
My baking hack for filling a frosting bag is to use a tall glass to hold the bag.
This leaves your hands free to fill the bag with frosting and makes it easier to load.

I used a medium sized tip for piping the red portion of the Santa Hat, but you
can use whatever you have on hand. If you don't have any decorating tips, you
can just cut a little hole in the corner of your plastic baggie and use it to pipe
instead. I've done this in a pinch and it works fine, especially if you you're not
looking for a fancy frosting shape.

Look at my cute little hats all ready for the white icing. This time I use a pretty
small decorator's tip for the white frosting. It all depends on what look you want.
Isabella had a great time helping me turn the little brownie bites to get the white
on them just right.

We decided to embellish our little Santa Hat brownies a bit and used the 

M&M’S® Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Baking Bits to add a little bling. This
was Isabella's favorite part and it was fun to give her a job that she could do all
by herself. If you think your hats are looking a little droopy, then pop them in the
refrigerator and they will stiffen up nicely.

I can't take a treat to a friend without a cute little printable note to go with it. So
I whipped up these cute cards that you can pair with your treats when you share
them with friends, family, co-workers or neighbors. I think baking as a family
really brings us together and helps makes the holidays extra sweet. I especially
love that my kids are so excited to share what they make with others. It helps to
spread the holiday spirit and cheer and helps us to get a boost from giving
those around us.

Do you bake with your family at the holidays? What's your favorite treat to make
with one another? Do you keep them all for yourself or share with others? I'd
love to hear about your baking holiday traditions! Share in the comments below!

Becoming Adventurous: Family Adventures with an Adventure Impaired Mom

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #allfreeclear #CollectiveBias

It's no secret that I'm not an outdoor-adventurous kind of mom. The dirt, the mud,

the grass stains, the mess, the horror! I get a little panicky when I think of all the laundry

and mess that goes along with outdoor adventures. However, in an effort to step outside

of my comfort zone and be a cooler and more adventurous mom, I've started trying

new things with my kids over the past few months to get us outside and more active.

This means more fun, but it also means more muddy laundry, so thank goodness for

all® free clear detergent to save the day and calm my adventure impaired heart.

After an afternoon of geocaching and climbing through weeds, bushes, and shrubs,
it's nice to know that I'm washing my kids' clothes with #1 recommended brand by
dermatologists, allergists and pediatricians. And while all® free clear detergent is
100% free of dyes and perfumes, it is not intended to treat or prevent allergies.
However, I take comfort in the fact that it removes 99% of the top every day
and seasonal allergens - like dog and cat dander, dust mite matter, ragweed,
and grass and weed pollen. This is important to our family because all three of my kids
have allergies and sensitive skin. I love that all® free clear detergent gets rid
of the allergens, is gentle on their sensitive skin, and gets the play clothes
clean and stain free.

I love that the kids can enjoy a day at Adventure Playground with friends, exploring all

the dirty, unstructured play that it has to offer, and I can sit in the shade and not worry

about all the "things" they will bring home on their clothes. 

I know that all® free clear detergent will take care of all of those "things" 

and won't irritate their skin in the process.

Adventure Playground is the perfect place for them to explore and create

and just be kids. I really appreciate that our city has created a setting that allows for this.

Regular parks are great, but I love the open space and the non-directed play areas

that allow the kids to just be kids without too much adult intervention.

My Isabella has the most sensitive skin of all three of my kids. She has to be really 

careful with what comes in contact with her skin and I have to be extra careful

with what I wash her clothes with. There were times she would scratch 

herself to bleeding and I felt helpless to know what to help her. 

Since using all® free clear detergent over the last few years, 

she has been pretty much rash and eczema free and I'm so thankful!

So whenever we're running low, I head to Sam's Club and pick up 

all® free clear detergent so that I can keep the kids' clothes clean, allergen free,

and ready for our next family adventure. It really has been good for my family for me

to feel like I have the freedom to let my kids have those adventures.

I honestly used to send the kids with my husband for the "dirty" things because it

was just too anxiety inducing, but now I'm the one leading the walks and hikes.
I even planned and executed a family camping trip during spring break and I loved it.
Who am I?

So, if you are adventure impaired like I am, there is hope thanks to all® free clear detergent.

I know my kids are a lot happier when they're unplugged, outdoors, and are given the

chance to explore and play without too much direction from me. Especially since

I no longer shout - be careful, you're going to get dirty!

Are you adventure impaired like me?
Or are you an adventure loving mama?
How do you help create opportunities for adventure and free play for your family?
I need all the help I can get!

Stay Put Hooded Towel Tutorial with Huggies® Little Swimmers®

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SwimAdventureContest #CB #CollectiveBias

Summer is coming and in southern California, that means pool days all day, every day!
Grace loves the pool, but pool time with toddlers can be a bit more complicated than
with older kids. That's why I appreciate anything that can make pool days easier - like
Huggies® Little Swimmers® Disposable Swimpants. They make quick changes
at the pool a breeze! I love to pair them with a rash guard and then poolside changes
are easy and uncomplicated.

That's why when I was shopping at Sam's Club and saw they had

Huggies® Little Swimmers® in the special Finding Dory large box that is

perfect for multiple pool days a week during the summer, I had to nab them.

Now, I am ready for pool days with Grace that are just a little bit simpler.

Another thing that makes pool days with a toddler just a bit easier are my
Stay Put Hooded Towels! After a fun pool day there are few thingsmore frustrating to a
toddler than being cold and wet because her towel keeps falling off as we walk home.
Thus, the Stay Put Hooded Towel was born!

It's easy to make and then pool days end with smiles from both

Grace and mommy.

What you'll need:
1 large towel
1 hand towel
thread
sewing machine

STEP ONE

To make the hood, take your hand towel and trim it to about 24" long.

I usually like to trim off the decorative edge, but this hand towel was exactly

24", so I kept the decorative edge this time.

STEP TWO
Fold the hand towel in half lengthwise, find the center and match it with

the center of your embellishment. If you aren't embellishing your hood,

then you can skip to STEP THREE. Pin your embellishment near the folded

edge of the hand towel, unfold the towel, and sew on the embellishment. 

STEP THREE
Now, refold the towel with right sides together, and the short ends together.

Then, sew down the open sides that are opposite from one another.

 

STEP FOUR
Turn it right sides out, so that you have a little towel pocket.

STEP FIVE
Invert corner "1" and push it back into corner "2".

STEP SIX
Then open it and lay it flat so that you have a little hood for your towel.

STEP SEVEN
To make the body of the towel, fold your large towel in half.
Then, find the center of the folded edge.
Use the neck hole of a shirt and make a pattern piece for the neck opening.
Cut out the neck opening.

  
STEP EIGHT

Open up your neck opening and pin down the front half of the ellipse to the wrong side.
Then sew a 1/4" seam around the pinned edge. I use a zig zag stitch.

STEP NINE
I added a cape to this hooded towel. If you're not adding a cape, 

you can skip to STEP TEN. For the cape, I cut 2 pieces of shimmer tulle

that were 12x24 and matched the center of the towel to center of the cape,

pinned right sides together, and then sewed with a zig zag stitch.

 
STEP TEN
Time to attach the hood! Find the center of the back part of the ellipse
and mark with a pin. Then match the center of the hood to the center of the ellipse
and pin the hood to the poncho right sides together. Sew the hood to the poncho
with a zig zag stitch.

STEP ELEVEN
This step is optional, but I like to do it on the towels for the little ones

because it keeps the breeze from blowing through. Measure 7 inches down

from the the shoulder on both sides and sew a 5 inch seam close to the

edge. It creates little arm holes and keeps the breeze out, keeping your toddler

toasty and warm for the trip home.

And there you have it - The Stay Put Hooded Toddler Towel!
You'll thank me when there is no whining about towels falling off or
having black pool towels because they've been drug across the parking lot
because she's just given up trying to keep the towel on.

Be sure to grab your Huggies® Little Swimmers® Disposable Swimpants in
the special Finding Dory packaging from Sam's Club for easy poolside changes
this summer. Then, snap a picture of your fun summer moments and share on your
social media channels with the hashtag #SwimAdventureContest. Or, if Twitter and
Instagram aren't your thing you can upload your photo directly to SamsClub.com for
the chance to win one of five $1000 Sam's Club gift cards! Contest ends 6/1/16.

What are your tips for making trips to the pool with 
a toddler a bit easier?
Comment below! I'd love all the help I can get!

Parent's Choice Diapers and Being the Third Baby

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BabyDiapersSavings #CollectiveBias

Hi. This is Grace.
She wants me to tell you all about what it's like being the third baby.
Some people think it's all about late night feedings, diapers, and pacifiers,
but she knows that it's about so much more.

By the third baby mom and dad have wised up a bit and are much more
conscious about prices and products.
Gone are the days when you just buy something because it's cute or popular.
When you're the third baby, mom and dad want value, quality, and savings
all wrapped up into one product.



Enter Parent's Choice private label diapers from Walmart.
They are now more absorbent, have the rad wetness indicator, and will save you
$240 per year versus other national brands.
Find out if your local Walmart that carry the new and improved Parent's Choice diapers
by checking out this list!

When you're the third baby, you have to learn to roll with the punches.
Big brother and sister are busy little people, not to mention a social media mama,
so diaper changes could happen at any place,
at any time, and most of the time and most of the time not at home.
So, we have to make sure the diaper clutch is stocked with diapers at all times.



When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen on a blanket,
on a park table at the park while waiting for big brother to get out of school!

When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen while your big sister 

is putting a Merida wig on you so she can involve you in her dress-up extravaganza.

When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen while you're

still in your jammies at 11:00am and it's time to leave for kindergarten pick-up.

When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen on your mom's lap

at a media event because that's how we roll.

 When you're the third baby, it also means most days

 you go to kindergarten drop-off in your PJs.

When you're the third baby, you take a lot of naps in your stroller or car seat on your

way to dance or water polo and it feels like you always wake up some place different.

But being the third baby doesn't just mean diaper changes in strange places or naps on the go.

When you're the third baby, it also means you get extra snuggle time with mom

and naps in her arms while big brother and sister are gone to school.

When you're the third baby it means sister bonding time over movie

while mom makes dinner instead of chilling by yourself because there's

no one else around like when your brother was a baby.

When you're the third baby, it also means fun games with your awesome big brother.

He even lets you pull his hair just to hear you giggle!

Being the third baby comes lots of on-the-go diaper changes, 

but it also comes with perks for the baby and the mama.

There is lots and lots of love to go around and never a shortage of people

around that want to hold you.

And there are great money saving products like Parent's Choice diapers from Walmart

to make having a third baby in the home even more awesome than it already is!

So, if you like saving $240 a year, then print your Parent's Choice diapers coupon,

head to your local Walmart, and join the 3 out of 4 moms that agree that

Parent's Choice diapers are better than their current diaper brand of choice.

See for yourself: save money, live better!