If this continues, we're doomed.

So, speaking of genetics, my children did not understand you have to unwrap a chocolate coin first before eating it.

Childhood mishap or natural selection?

She's liking them apples

You know the saying, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?"  Living proof that Wavey's silliness is from her father's side...

...while her sense of fashion is from mine, as she refused to leave the house for the Daddy-Daughter Sweetheart Dance without her shiny red boots.  

I argued, "They're not exactly fancy like your dress," and she retorted, "Oh, they're fancy alright."  


Touche.

Chocolate dipped oreos cookies

Sometimes, semi-homemade is just as good as slaving in the kitchen:

Super delicious, minimal effort:  Oreos cookies, melted white chocolate chips and sprinkles.  

And, excuse me, but if you're not automatically choosing "Double Stuf" Oreos, we are not friends.

"Love is for the birds" DIY Valentine's Day Gift Tag

By popular demand (and thanks for all your kind requests!), I've made the "Love is for the birds" Valentine's Day gift tags a free printable.  


Click here to download your DIY printable copy.  

And don't forget the recipe to create your own birdseed ornament.  I've modified the post a bit to ensure you're aware that the cakes MUST DRY COMPLETELY before packaging.  Otherwise, you'll get a moldy mess.  


Trust me, I speak from experience.

Hiiii-YAHH!

This is what happens when you buy an assemble-yourself-bookshelf that comes with styrofoam packaging, and your children have watched way too much Kung Fu Panda:

The best part?  You're only seeing about a quarter of the absolute mess. 

Get your craft on: DIY birdseed ornament tutorial

For Valentine's Day teacher gifts, we're doing heart-shaped birdseed ornaments.  Popular for bird-themed wedding favors, too, this was an easy DIY project that the Gravy Kids enjoyed.

For the heart shapes, I used a donut baking tin I found at Target.  You can use cookie cutters, too, but shelling out the $9.99 was worth it over digging through my basement looking for the box of cookie cutters.  The payment of convenience.

Here's the recipe:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons corn syrup or honey
1 packet unflavored gelatin
4 cups birdseed
Cooking spray


1. In a large bowl, combine flour, water, corn syrup (or honey), and gelatin.  
2.Add birdseed and mix well.  


 **MODIFIED INSTRUCTIONS BELOW** 
3.  Scoop into greased molds and let dry for several hours before removing from mold.  
4.  Let ornaments dry overnight on wax paper.  


The result should be a distinctly hard ornament the next day.  Any squishiness means that the ornament is not completely dry and may mold if packaged up too soon.

Alternatively, you could use cookie cutters by putting wax paper on top of a cookie sheet and filling the greased cookie cutters with seeds.  Just be sure to insert pieces of straw to leave a hole to tie the string through after the ornament dries.  A mini-bundt pan would probably work well, too.

We wrapped the heart birdseed ornaments into a plastic bag, topped it off with a "love is for the birds" gift tag and voila!  Instant gift.