"I Love You" Cupcakes!

My Valentine's Gift from Hubby :) We have a thing for Monkeys...

   If your life is anything like a normal mom's it involves re-planning the "important" holidays around your schedule. Valentine's Day, Birthdays, and Anniversaries all take a back seat to the errands, laundry, dinners, work schedules, and potty training even! Hubby and I have a weird timing to our anniversary(a few days after Christmas :D) so we have actually agreed to celebrate it during the Summer. Any holiday that happens during the week gets moved to the weekend, Birthdays get celebrated on the weekend with the most family member availability, stop me when this starts sounding familiar...However, Moving Holidays doesn't mean ignoring them completely on their actual day. This past Valentine's Day my Hubby and I did little things all week and then had our date night on the weekend! It was fun and honestly I enjoyed having a week of romance and cheesiness. 
   One of the things I did was Valentine's for Hubby's Troop from Monkey. But since I refused to write over 40 Valentine's I did paper Valentine's for the girls and cupcakes for the boys! They were simple and elegant and frankly, beyond delicious. So good in fact that I decided to share my amazing secrets with all of you. 

    First off, when you shop for cake mixes (and admit it, we all use them...) buy the ones labeled supreme, fudge, or anything hinting at awesomeness. Same with the icing. It's easier to add one or two ingredients rather than three or four to make it decadent. We're about shortcuts so take advantage of them when available! 

I started with Betty Crocker's Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix. It calls for Oil, Water, and Egg and the specifics are on the back of the box. I put the wet ingredients in a large bowl and added one large packet of sugar free, fat free chocolate pudding ( the "instant" mix). Mix them together with a hand mixer until the pudding starts to set a little and then add the cake mix. Don't over mix the cake batter or else it will be a tough cupcake. Cut up some fresh strawberries, about 1 cup worth, and fold them into the batter with a spatula. Spray a pan with Pam Butter Spray, normal Muffin pans work too but I prefer Mini Muffin pans simply cause they're cuter and work better with little kids and men :). As well, normal size muffin pans tend to stick more so use cupcake liners if you have them.  Fill them up 3/4 of the way with the cupcake mix. They will look a littler fuller than a normal batter makes them look because of the diced strawberries in the batter.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for the time stated on the box. If your kids are like mine this is their favorite view in the house. Monkey always likes to sit in my lap and stare in the oven and say "Whooooahhh!!!" like it's the coolest thing he's ever seen.

   Once they are done let them cool for about 2 minutes and then pop them out of the pan. I use a butter knife personally and take them out one by one but that's just my OCD kickin' in :) Place them on a cooling rack and let them cool completely. And I mean completely! Otherwise the icing will melt and slide right off the top of them and while still delicious and slightly funny it's also a little heartbreaking so leave them alone until they are done!!!

     Next comes the Icing. Pop open a gallon ziplock bag and fold the top halfway down. you should be able to slide your hand under the fold and around the bag to hang onto it while filling it. Take whatever icing you chose and spoon it into the bag and then unfold the top and twist it. It should look like this...
   Note my hand around the bag. I use my pinky and ring finger to do the squeezing and my thumb and fore finger to keep the icing from going the wrong way. Once you have pushed all the icing into the corner snip a tiny bit off the corner of the bag. Some people snip first, insert an icing tip, and then fill with icing but I like simple and this way floats my boat. Whatever way floats yours works too!
    Next up is actually icing the cupcakes. Start on the outside of the cupcake and work in a spiral towards the middle and lift up a bit at the end. Don't worry about it looking pretty. It will be hidden later by cute little toppings :)

   Aren't they just so fun and simple looking? Now to spice them up a bit!

     


Now take a couple of big Strawberries and cut them up in little slices. Press them into the top of the icing at an angle so they stick up a bit. As they sit they will get juice in the icing and start to slide so you want them to be propped into the icing enough to stay put.  Doesn't that make it so simple and beautiful? And who doesn't like Chocolate and Strawberries? As well you could place some candied oranges, Sweetheart Candy, Edible Flowers...the options are endless with this cupcake. Get creative! The best part is that the active time is only about 45 minutes total. About 15 in the beginning and 30 to decorate. And they will fly off the plate guaranteed :) 



   We talk all the time about the importance of family and a lot of the time everyone focuses around Valentine's day on loving the ones around them. Unfortunately it is with things and not time. Maybe this year when you get around to finally celebrating with your Love you can make a point of having more time out of the kitchen and more time in their presence. Spending time together is just as important if not more important than everything else so make the most of the help around you to cut your project's time down. And when people compliment you on the awesomeness, and they will, just smile and act like it is made from scratch. Real Moms use shortcuts, Real Women use discretion in telling people ;) Happy belated Valentine's Day Everyone!
 
                                  Best Wishes,
                              Jules & Monkey

Blessed but Slightly Stressed!

   Recently there have been some changes in our home that have been a blessing in disguise. I have had the opportunity to change careers. Those who know me know I love being in the Administrative field and that I excel at it. However recently my job changed locations so my Hubby and I made the decision for me to change careers. It has meant a couple of things.

    

    First, I am in school temporarily for Real Estate. I'm loving maintaining my previous schedule for the time being as it eases the stress that change can bring. Secondly, it means that I am a Stay at Home Mom at the end of this week! Life is crazy as I prep for this change. Not only will I be working from home as a Real Estate Agent but I will be responsible for a toddler who understands everything but the word "No"! So being the Type A personality that I am I decided to do a few things in preparation.

                                                                                                                                                           

My Apple Pie! I bake when I'm stressed...

    Lists, Lists, Lists!!!! Did I mention lists? First up is cooking. I love my go to recipes but I was in need of some new ones and decided to take advantage of the few days in between changes to find some to try. I found a few via Pinterest as always and some more in some long lost cookbooks that my inspirational Mom gave me at Christmas.Here's a blog, JustB, that I used for some. She has great tasting, easy to prepare, one dish meals that just knock it out of the park every time! They're easy prep, low cost, and kid friendly so I marked 'em, put them on my Grocery List, and headed to the store. So far they have all passed with flying colors. As I go through them again I plan on posting them for all you wonderful people! 

Heisman Trophy Game at MSU! Wife of the Year Award :)

      Next up was finances. My Hubby and I decided this year was our year to work on debt and tax time is a big part to that. I spent some time with him figuring out what we needed to take care of. As well, I reorganized our budget to fit the different income and therefore different lifestyle we have for a while. I found that our bank has a great money management tool as well as a savings tool so we can see our progress as the bad numbers go down and the good go up! Check out your bank and see what online tools they offer for free to help you organize and get a handle on your money. We are slowly learning to make our money work for us instead of the other way around! 

      

      As well, I tackled the big dread...my Home. I'm pretty organized but between Christmas, Work, Toddler mess, and just sheer laziness from exhaustion (yes type A's deal with that too ;p) my house had spiraled out of control. I went through the house and cleaned like a maniac from toilets to  laundry. I then found a great cleaning schedule that I could printout and put on my fridge as a daily upkeep reminder. I posted it on the bottom of the blog for easy access but you can also find it here at The Time Warp Wife. She is a fantastic christian mom and author who lays out the way to a clean house in a short amount of time. I'm loving the schedule plus it can be altered to fit your days.

Mardis Gras Parade 2013

      

      Then came my big issue...my son. Because of the career change, our finances have changed which means no more nursery. I now have the responsibility of teaching him what he needs to know to, not only catch up, but keep up so he will be ready for preschool. AAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I'm freaking out! So I have been going through trying to set a schedule up so he gets what he needs first and foremost and I still have time to do work. It's not going to be easy but it needs to happen. Yet again Pinterest to the rescue! I have found so many free teaching aids for numbers and letters that can help him. As well, we are setting his Leap Pad up so I can use it to teach him as well rather than just entertain. I have been researching free activities around town so he can have interaction still with other children and have been surprised! Check out your local library, your town's website, local churches even. They all offer free activities geared towards little children for little to no cost. Talk to friends with kids. Set up one day a week to meet so you get some mom time and the kids get some interaction. As well, I talked with Monkey's nursery and learned that they do offer daily rates so if I need a day to show houses or have meetings all day I can pay a much lower price for him to be there for the day. Check out a local nursery in your area and see if they offer you the same type of situation. It's definitely still a work in progress but my focus has been on schedules and activity. Monkey needs a schedule with his temperament to maintain his happiness level and activity to keep him out of trouble.

   

     This whole situation has been a learning experience with a very sharp learning curve and I personally don't like change. It messes with me normally but this time around I have had the extra blessing of feeling at peace with what is happening. Throughout everything that happens I always know that change is God's way of steering me towards the direction he wants me to go. I am slowly learning how to hold onto Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand". I am learning that God will use situations to mold me the way He sees fit and my only responsibility is to trust Him and take that next step. However in true Type A style, I make lists to make sure that I can make it through that next step! For me it helps to ease the scariness of change itself.

  

    I know this post has been a bit different but hopefully there has been something of use that you can glean in order to help ease your life up a little bit. After all that what this is about, a little extra work now to ease up work later so we all have time for what is truly important - Our Families! 

Mardis Gras Parade 2013 ~ Such goofballs having fun!

Best Wishes,

Jules, Hubby, & Monkey

Baby Shower Fun!

Playground Day!

  
 I had the opportunity to host a baby shower recently for a new friend of mine from church. I have to admit it was a little nerve wracking from the get go solely cause I don't "do" baby showers. I'm not that girl who gets excited about the color pink and fluffy things that play obnoxious baby songs. I tend to lean more towards football games and playgrounds if you get my drift. I was raised by a mom who desperately wanted a little girl and got a little tomboy...except now that I have a little boy of my own I find myself compensating for the boyish behavior by being more girly! So with all of that in play and the beautiful realization that my friend Jessica is the same way I set out to plan a non-girly Baby Shower for her and the third little girl that she is having (ironic, I know)

   I decided on a Grey and Yellow theme from the beginning since it is sweet and simple without being obnoxious. I have a thing for baby animals period but in this case, Elephants! After that it was pretty easy. I went on a plundering tour of Pinterest to find some games and decorations and here is what I found...

Wishing Well Station and "Guess that Number!"

   I decided to do a homemade "It's a Girl!" Banner based on Shanty2Chic's free printables. The website can be found here :) It was incredibly easy but a little time consuming. I printed everything out on plain colored paper and cut it out. I then laid them out on some Scrapbooking paper and cut them out again with about an inch around the perimeter. 

I taped them together, Punched holes in the top corners and laced them on some ribbon. My Hubby helped me hang it in our kitchen across our windows. All in all it took me about two hours without the help of Monkey or his cat :D

   Next I found this girl who is alllll about her baby showers and was diggin' the color yellow and utilized some of here free games. They come as a PDF so you just download and print as many as you need and then you still have it for later on down the road too ;) Most came multiples to a page so I curled up in front of the TV and went to town just cutting away one night. My Hubby came to the rescue and looked up the answer to one of the animal games for me the day of the shower so make sure you do that the day before at least!

   As well I found an amazing Lemonade Punch that I still make and drink almost every week! It's really easy, and to boot I cut up two lemons and placed them on a Reynold's Wrapped plate and froze them. Nobody likes watered down drinks so what better way to cool lemonade down than with frozen lemons!

As you can see, I used Lemons allll over the place for decoration as well!

   Food-wise I kept things simple for once. I ordered the cutest little cake and cupcakes from Sam's Club for crazy cheap as a center piece.

I looove Polka Dots so I use them every chance I get :)

I made Ham with Baby Swiss Sandwiches and Turkey with Baby Swiss Sandwiches and let everyone dress them themselves. Deviled Eggs, Chips and Dip, Fruit Salad (Pineapple, Peaches, and Mandarin Oranges to stick with the yellow theme), and Pigs in a Blanket (for the kids) rounded it out. It was all really easy, about two hours worth of prep the day of, and it looked gorgeous! I also grabbed some flowers while I was out to brighten up the place (and my day :D)

After the hungry mob...I buy my kitchen Baking needs in Glass or Wood when possible cause it goes with everything and lends an air of simplicity and hominess. It also allows me to use them as serving dishes :)

   All in all it was a fun day and fairly easy to pull off. I may not be a big fan of Baby Showers but I'm definitely coming around to them now. And the best part? Monkey made some new friends that day too! 

Big Sister #1

Big Sister #2

   Life isn't always easy or pretty but with the right planning it can be. That week was crazy for me but I'm glad I slowed down to do the Shower for Jessica. I learned a lot about myself, my son made some new friends, and my house hasn't looked that good in ages!

                                                                                 


                                                           Best Wishes,

                        Jules & Hubby (He goes
      by Knight in Shining Armor too ;D)