Cinnamon Rolls

Thank you to the The Pioneer Woman via Bakerella for help making my first attempt at cinnamon rolls a success! Now I don't have to wait for a county fair to come along to enjoy these delectably, sinful, mouthwatering, ooey gooey rolls. I'm sure my running shoes will thank you in the morning. ; )

 Not so appetizing proofing picture

Fresh out of the oven, before the finale

Need I say more?!

Bento Blog

This first bento is somewhat tame for a kid lunch; at least for Sophia. I'll be back posting a bento filled with toasted seaweed, kamaboko and who knows what else!

 Cute little "headband" to keep the bento together.

Cheesy Lunchbox Muffin amongst a forest of broccoli.

Orange wedges & blackberries with a giraffe mini fork.

Sneaky, Sneaky

Getting our kids to eat their veggies has not been a problem as of yet...knock on wood. But I still thought it would be fun to make these Cheesy Lunchbox Muffins from The Sneaky Chef. My friend Michelle introduced this website to me. I can't wait to "sneak" in the other veggie purees listed on her website.

 They turned out pretty cute, huh? 

 And I am happy to report that they taste great too!

P.S. No I am not starting a food blog. I've just been sharing more of my food creations lately out of joy. Although I definitely LOVE food and all its' fabulosity, I'll leave the true food blogging up to the pros like my friend Marina and her Yummy Mummy site. Go ahead, click on her link and prepare to be mesmerized on how simple she makes cooking & baking look!

Let the Bento Begin

Although Sophia is a super and very eclectic eater, I thought I would change things up a bit. Lo and behold...The Bento. I can't wait to make her school lunches even more exciting!

 What kid could resist a Piggy Bento!

Isn't she cute?

 Cute little molds to make lunches yum-o!

And definitely a couple of my favorites...

On the left - Hard boiled egg molds (bunny & bear shaped)

On the right - Mini fork picks

Thank you to my dear friend, Michelle Gaylord, for the inspiration! And thank you Amazon for making the bento shopping so easy; although I think you really should be thanking me. : )

Looking forward to blogging my, errr I mean Sophia's, bento lunches every now and then. 

Rainy Day Projects

I never realized how annoying the rain was until I had my munchkins. I know, it's not like it rains a lot in Santa Barbara and I know, it could be worse like snow. But when you live in a city that thrives on outdoor living, especially with kiddies, I think you would agree too...RAIN IS ANNOYING. But that's when the Hall girls kick off the galoshes and trade them in for indoor projects.

Nothing chases the rain away like paper bag puppets

Working on the alphabet (A & b)

This cardboard house is one of THE BEST indoor activities!
Kids can go wild by coloring, adding stickers, playing house, etc.
You can purchase this at Michaels for around $20.
*Please excuse Kalista's crazy hair...she just woke up.* : )

Cupid's Little Angels

Ah yes, I've said it before and I will say it again...I LOVE BEING A ROOM MOMMY!

Valentine's Project

Last week was productive despite that NASTY flu. I felt so bad not being able to take the kids out to enjoy the gorgeous Santa Barbara weather. And although Sophia was not happy she stayed home from school, but she came up with her own art project which kept her very busy.

 Bracelets for her teachers

Aside from the knot, Sophia made these all by herself. 

I think she's almost ready to take orders! ; )

So much for the FLU shot...

Need I say more?! Oh, but I will since it's 12:35 am and I am awake and I am on my 4th load of laundry. Where do I even begin? Tuesday morning I walked into the girls' room only to be greeted by a horrible smell. Poor Kalista had thrown up sometime during the night and slept in it. Needless to say lots of laundry and deep cleaning happened that morning. Then by mid-afternoon the hubby was throwing up too. Oh dear! By that evening, I was down for the count. I was actually down through Wednesday evening. David, thank God, bounced back very quickly and took care of the family. Then this evening it happened, victim #4...poor Sophia. 

With all this being said I must post these 2 pictures. No, not pictures of my sick family but of the 2 items that saved Sophia and Kalista's mattresses:

 I realize it's not very attractive since it covers the pretty linen.

But I am so glad I put it on! I originally put it on because Kalista

was wetting the bed even with night time diapers.

I originally put these on in case of a night time accident. 

Little did I think that there was more than one kind of accident.

I lined Sophia's mattress with 2 of these protectors to create
a bigger surface area. These are great and a total mattress saver.
And unlike Kalista's protector, you can't see this one.

Line the mattress followed by a mattress pad then the fitted sheet.

You can find these items at One Step Ahead. Just type 'mattress protector' in the search box.

Now I am off to bed because who knows what tomorrow will bring. Wish us luck!

Over the Grapevine and Through the Fog to Grandmother's House We Go

We took a little trip to my parent's house to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday. Although it was a short visit, I was happy to be home. Sophia & Kalista had fun playing with cousin Caroline and staying up very late. And I must say...there is just no way my mom is 70. She looks so young!! Happy Birthday Mom - I Love You!

 Sensational 70!

One of my favorite pics - too bad Kalista's

not looking up. And yes, that is a streak of purple

in my mom's hair! Told you she's NOT 70!

Rich German Chocolate...

and a lighter Nicoise

 Girl Power!

Happy Birthday!

The girls having their own dinner party.

David telling the girls a story before lights out.