Valentine's Day Candy Cane Hearts

My sister-in-law made these for my kids last year, so I thought I'd give them a try.

Valentine's Day Candy Cane Hearts

You start with mini-candy canes (left over from Christmas):

Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, facing each other, so it looks like a heart.

Then bake them at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes.

Mine looked like this:

(I had to use a spoon and push the edges back together because some of them melted apart)

You can also try filling them with white or dark chocolate chips:

When you pull them out of the oven, use a spoon to spread the melted chocolate around.

Make sure it fills the entire center of the heart.

Then sprinkle the melted chocolate with Valentine's Day sprinkles.

They turn out so cute and make the perfect little Valentine's Day treat.

You can also put a lollipop stick in them when you first pull them out of the oven and make them into heart shaped lollipops.  I think the chocolate filled ones taste like peppermint bark.

It's a fun craft to make with kids because it is so easy and so quick!

Have fun!

First Time Mom

The other day, I read a link to THIS article on facebook that really made me think about being a mom.  Not just a mom, but a mom of several children.

This author of the article talked about having 9 children.  She said that first time moms are always approaching her and saying "Wow...I think one is hard!  I don't know how you do it!"

She then went on to agree with them.  It is hard being a new mom.  If you feel like having your first child is hard, don't feel bad, it really is hard!  She went on to describe all of the challenges that are particularly hard the first time because they are new.  She also talked about how with each child you gain more experience and feel more relaxed about what you are doing.  You also have older ones that can help out.

It made me really think about my life.  It was hard to have only one.  How many countless nights did I stay up wondering "is he sick?...should his breathing sound like that?...how high of a fever warrants a visit to the ER?...shouldn't he be talking already?..." etc.  

My first time potty training was HARD!  Once, Saxon went into the garage to get a toy.  He pooped, stepped in it, and then walked back upstairs with poopy foot prints.  I cried.  

My first time nursing was hard.  It didn't go well.  It hurt.  I felt tied to my house because I only had a brief window of time in between nursing when I could run a quick errand before I had to be home and nursing again.  I was constantly exhausted.  I would wake up at night with every change in his breathing.  


When we were expecting Bridger, I worried constantly if Saxon would feel neglected.  He was used to having me all to himself.  I felt guilty for knowing that his little life was about to change.  


I thought 2 kids was pretty hard too.  I didn't worry quite so much about the baby (since I was a little more experienced) but I felt so pulled.  Every time I would sit down to nurse Bridger, Saxon would need something.  Every time I would try to read a book with Saxon, Bridger would cry.  I couldn't take a nap when the baby did because I still had to take care of Saxon.  I was really tired!


Now I have 3 kids, and for some reason, it's a little easier.  The situation hasn't changed, but I have changed.  I am a little more experienced.  A little more confident.  A little more relaxed.  A little stronger.  I know that I can't expect it to be perfect.  I know that I am going to mess up and so are they.  Sometimes it's ok to let them cry...sometimes it's ok to put down what you need to get done so you can read with them.  Sometimes its ok to stay in your pajamas all day.  


With Dalton, I really took the time to relax and appreciate each new baby stage because they don't last very long.  I loved having a tiny new baby.  I loved having a baby who was starting to learn new things.  I let my bigger boys help a lot and they loved the new baby too. I love my 3 boys!


So, like the article, I just wanted to say that if you think your life is hard, it probably really is!  But hang in there, because even if the situation doesn't change, you will get strong enough to handle it. 

Giveaway - Kitty Cats and Airplanes

-Giveaway Closed-

Winner:

Megan

Be sure to email me to claim your prize: caitcreate@gmail.com

Thanks so much to everyone who entered!!!

I'm Amie and I run my own little corner of the internet called Kitty Cats and Airplanes. Funny name? I know. But I love cats and I met my husband on an airplane. :) I have a {blog} where I like to share {tutorials}, {recipes}, and glimpses into my crazy life. I also have a {facebook page} where I run special facebook exclusive sales and offer mega coupon codes for {my shop}.

I am obsessed with making jewelry! I'm in the middle of writing Jewelry Making 101 series that will cover everything you've ever wanted to know about making jewelry so don't miss out! (Not a jewelry maker? I just finished {Jewelry Making for the Non-Jewelry Maker} so there are no excuses!)

Back to my shop. Let me highlight some of my favorite pieces! What's the point of a giveaway if you have no idea what you could win with your $30 store credit?

{Two tone lucite flower earrings}

{Coral and turquoise cabochon necklace}

{Starburst rose rings}

Check the {shop} for more listings!

Want to know how you can get yourself a $30 credit to spend in my shop??

• Follow my blog, {Kitty Cats and Airplanes}
• "Like" my facebook page {here} (Want an extra? Refer a friend to my facebook page for one extra entry!)
• Follow me on Twitter {here}
• Heart my etsy shop {here}
• Follow me on Pinterest {here}
• Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway (one entry each)
• Follow Cait. Create.

Good luck! :)

Circus

Guess who's thinking of running away and joining the circus?

Last night my cousins invited us to go to the circus with them.

Saxon and Dalton got their faces painted:

And Bridger almost fell off the elephant.

Saxon put his arms around him to keep him from sliding all the way off.

I thought it was scary.

They thought it was awesome!

On a different note...

Does anyone know the recipe to Disneyland's Vegetarian Gumbo?

My sister and I had it on our trip to Disneyland and I've been dreaming about it ever since.

I've googled it, but I didn't come up with anything that sounded right.

Any suggestions?

*Don't forget that today is the last day to enter the giveaway from Through the Eyes of the Mrs....

What I Wore...new boots

It snowed here!  It finally snowed!

Usually, I thank my lucky stars when the snow hold off for a while.

I hate being cold, and I'm terrified of driving on icy streets.

But...this year has been weird.  No snow in December?  No snow in January!?!

I was starting to really feel bad for my kids.

They got new snow clothes for Christmas and beg everyday to go sledding.

It snowed a lot on Monday and Tuesday was sunny!

The perfect kind of snow day.

We went out Tuesday morning and played for hours.

The sun was so warm that my kids even started stripping off some of their winter gear because they got hot.

By the time baby woke up from his nap, most of it was melted.

But, we had a really fun morning in the snow.

What I Wore:

Coat - Nordstrom

Yellow shirt - Whole Foods

Jeans - Jolt from Nordstrom

Scarf - Christmas gift...not sure?

Boots - Christmas gift...not sure...but I love them!

Flower clip - Love Stitched

My favorite accessory is my cute baby who followed me outside to take pictures :)

You want to know my favorite thing about my new boots?

They are fur lined.

Perfect for a snow day!

Chicken Bundles Recipe

I have a really yummy winter recipe for you today:

Chicken Bundles

This is another one from a girl I used to work with.  She is an amazing cook!  Her recipe book is my favorite one that I own.

These are warm, and yummy, and even my kids loved them!

Chicken Bundles

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup diced celery

1 small onion diced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 pkg. crescent rolls

1 can cream of chicken soup

milk

bread crumbs

Mix the cream cheese, celery, onion, seasonings, and shredded chicken together in a bowl.  Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it.  Put a scoop of chicken mixture into one of the dough triangles and pinch it up around the sides to create a little ball.  Then roll it in bread crumbs and place it on a baking sheet.  Continue until you have used all of the mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  While it's cooking, make a gravy out of cream of chicken soup and half a can of milk.  

*you can also make them vegetarian by adding small pieces of steamed broccoli instead of chicken.  Or you can add it with the chicken :)

I think this meal is best served with a fresh veggie or salad on the side.  Bridger LOVES broccoli (I know...weird for a 3 year old...) so we made it with steamed broccoli.

These can be a little time consuming to make because you have to cook the chicken first, cut the veggies, make the mixture, and then still stuff and roll them in the dough.  But, it is well worth the extra work!  They are so so good.

A work in progress

For Christmas this year, we got a new TV.  A flat one.  You know...the only kind they make anymore.  We have always had an old TV, it was a hand-me-down from a friend to replace my former, and even older, TV.  It never really bothered me, we don't even watch that much TV.  My husband, however, has been secretly longing for a real TV.  For Christmas this year, he got a TV.

But, I couldn't bring myself to set up a beautiful new TV on our old, dumpy, Wal-mart entertainment center.  I've been searching around online trying to find one that I love.  And I did...from Pottery Barn.  I love it!  Guess how much it is?  $999.  Yep...way out of my price range.  We don't even have a price range because we don't have any extra money.

Lucky for me, I have a husband who can fix our build anything.  He doesn't have very much experience in furniture building, but he did have $150 in Home Depot gift cards :)  He got the measurements off of the website, drew a plan, and then got to work.

Here's how it looks so far:

The inspiration:

(via Pottery Barn)

Like I said before, my husband is very good at building and fixing.  His one minor flaw is that he is really slow...I don't mean that in a mean way...it's just his personality.  For example, when we had to re-do the floors in our dining room, he offered to do it himself!  Awesome, since we wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise.  It took over 6 months!

To speed the process along, I thought of a deal.  I told him that I didn't think we should open the new TV and set it up until we had a new cabinet to put it on.  :)  LOL.  He said ok, and our goal is to have it all set up by Superbowl Sunday!

I'll keep you posted on the progress...

Wish us luck!

Giveaway - Through the Eyes of the Mrs.

 -Giveaway Closed-
Winner:
Jen the Craftin' Cowgirl
Congratulations!!
Make sure to email to claim your prize (caitcreate@gmail.com)
Thank you so much to everyone who entered!!!

Today I have a super-fun giveaway from one of my favorite bloggers!

Beth, from Through the Eyes of the Mrs. has a darling guest post and great giveaway for us today.  She is so honest and so fun and I know you are going to love her!

Enjoy!

I wish I had it all together all the time.I wish my house was sparkling clean and spent more time playing with my children.That my posts were always done a week in advance. That dinner was always homemade & laundry was done.I wish I didn't stay up late & wake up early.I'm Beth from Through the Eyes of the Mrs.

I'm a mommy, wife and soon to be Etsy Shop owner.

I struggle just like everyone else finding balance.

It's tough to do this and it takes a great deal of time.

Not only are we blogging but we are building relationships.

It's easy to get distracted.

It's easy to spend a day catching up in blog land.

Then spending a day catching up on your house & family.

We are a very close family and I would be lying if I said I never let them down.I can't be everywhere all of the time & it's a struggle.I do my very best to be a great mommy & wife.My family means everything to me.They have a lot of patience for me and my dreams.It's just one of the many reasons I love them! 

Here are some suggestions I wish someone told me.First stop trying to be organized all of the time.Find some balance & give yourself a break.This is a lot of work & we are going to make mistakes.We are doing our very best.Get a planner & use it! It will be a life saver.You can't do it all so stop trying.Your blog friends know you love them even if you can't comment daily.Stay focused & it will all come together.Be honest with yourself about your goals.What do you want? Then you just Go For It! Now for the fun stuff already!How about a Giveaway? 

Good Luck ladies and make sure you come by and say hello.

Thank You so much for having me Cait!

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory - Be a follower of Through the Eyes of the Mrs. 

Bonus Entries:

-Like Through the Eyes of the Mrs. on Facebook

-Follow on Twitter

-Follow Cait. Create.

-Like Cait. Create. on Facebook

-Get my button

-Blog/Facebook/Tweet about this giveaway (one entry for each)

Good luck!  Giveaway ends Thursday, Jan. 26 at midnight.

Winner will be announced Friday morning.