Let it snow, let it snow!

Its winter-time. There are several things about winter-time that I love (e.g., snuggling on the couch when its cold out, and ummmmm..... Okay, maybe not several), and several things about winter-time that I strongly dislike. I probably would even use a stronger expression than "strongly dislike" but we have a "we don't say H*TE" policy in effect at our house.

Possibly the #1 thing I ha.., I mean strongly dislike, about winter-time is preparing my children to play in the snow. There's a lot of tugging and pulling and stuffing that goes on to keep them warm. And of course, they only need to be warm for about 5 minutes, because then they either have to come in to the potty, or they are "all done outside."

This is why my girls, ages 3 and 5, have played in the snow about three times in their entire lives. I know, I know. You're thinking, "Oh those poor girls. They need to experience building a snowman, and sledding, and other wonderful winter-time things."

And I'm here to tell you that they don't. Not on a regular basis anyway.

My mommy-guilt came into play, though, when Rory started playing in the snow at recess and she just went on and on about how much fun it is, and her mittens really don't work because she can't pick up the snow and the toys to build things and on and on and on. Guilty, guilty, guilty. Depriving my children of such a basic joy. I wondered to myself, how could I let them play in the snow without subjecting myself to the previously-mentioned tugging, pulling and stuffing? And then it came to me.....Papa Mark would do it!

I called Grandma Julie the week before Christmas and told her the girls would sure enjoy playing on a big snow pile. The kind of snow pile Sukey and I played on when we were kids, before Papa was "Papa" and when he was just "Dad." And sure enough, Grandma Julie passed the message on to Papa. And then Grandma Julie was on the phone telling me about the pile they were admiring from the kitchen window. Jackpot!

So the day after Christmas, the girls bundled up (and yes, I still had to tug and pull and stuff) and went out to play on the snow pile that could only be created with Papa's loader tractor. Soren had trouble walking in the deep snow, but managed to "help" Chris make two snowmen. Rory climbed on the snow pile, and with extensive help from Papa, slid down in the sled about 20 times. There was some crying, but for the most part, it was all good. Grandma Julie and I went out for a while to take some pictures, but then went inside where it was much warmer.

Once the girls got tired of climbing, throwing, falling and sliding, Papa pulled them all over in the sled. So the tugging, pulling and stuffing was good for over an hour. Definitely worth it.

Rory's favorite part was "sliding down the hill and falling off the sled."

And Soren's favorite part was "making a big snowman with Daddy."

Christmas Fun

Christmas is over (although we are still looking forward to a belated gathering in a few weeks), and now we are trying to find a place for all the stuff we brought home. The kids are really enjoying their toys, and the mom and dad are really "enjoying" the opening, assembling, and battery-ing going on.

While we clean up the mess that has overtaken our home, please enjoy some pictures from the last few days:







The girls had a "sleepover" with Lauren and Lindsey at Grandma Sharon's. The big girls were so nice to let the little girls do their hair (and color with them, and make crowns with them).









On Christmas Eve we tracked Santa on the internet. The kids got really excited when he got closer. They could hardly sit still for a picture before going to bed!












Beck's new friend, A.J., was a gift from Santa. Beck loves to chat with him. (I think its the wild hair they have in common.)
















All the kids were up early on Christmas morning. The girls just don't understand why Santa doesn't wrap every item in their stockings like Grandma Julie does. Hmmmmmm........ I'll have to ask him.

The girls caught garbage at Grandma Julie's to keep them entertained while others were opening gifts.

Santa Claus is coming to town....

....but we won't be there to see it.

Some of you may recall that last year we went to see Santa arrive in DeWitt on a fire truck. We waited in line for about 20 minutes. In December. In Iowa. It was a bit chilly.

And the minute Santa began climbing down from the truck, Soren and Rory both began screaming. (I realize scream is a strong word, but it may not be strong enough to describe what they did given the close quarters and proximity of their mouths to my ears.) So we did not "see" Santa anymore than that. No lap-sitting. No requests. Nothing.

So this year we skipped the entire arrival-of-Santa festival (or whatever they call it) and tried to be more low-key. On the last possible day to visit Santa in DeWitt, I announced we should go tell him what we wanted. Immediate responses:

Soren: "I'll stay home with Daddy. You take Rory and Beck."
Rory: "Oh goody! I'm gonna tell him I want a giraffe!"
Beck: Grinned a grinny grin, catching the excitement already.

It turned out Rory's enthusiasm quickly waned. "I just don't feel like it." Okay. I wasn't going to re-create last year's scene, so Chris only took Beck. He seemed happy enough to go. He asked Santa for a new snowblower. (Chris did, anyway. Beck can't talk yet.)

I told the girls I didn't know if Santa would bring toys to girls who didn't sit on his lap. And then I got a lecture from Rory.

Here are the reasons Santa will bring you presents, even if you don't go to visit him (according to Rory, of course):

#1- "He loves all the children."
#2- "I've been kinda good this year...kinda."
#3- "I haven't lied. This year."

So we'll see what happens. Will Santa bequeath them with gifts? Check back in a week or so and we'll see what's what.

We've been MIA....

So you've proabably noticed that I haven't put anything on here since September. Its not that stuff hasn't been happening....all kinds of stuff has been happening. That's sort of the problem. So much stuff, so little time.

Coming soon:
*Reasons Santa will bring you presents even if you don't sit on his lap
*Baby Beck pictures
*Christmas at our house

How many breakfasts can a breakfast eater eat?

Rory is a breakfast eater. Since school started, she's had quite the variety of breakfasts- cereal, pop tarts, toast, waffles, yogurt drinks (that I make from yogurt + juice). We have gotten a nice routine down where the girls get dressed, Rory feeds the dogs, eats breakfast, gets her hair done, etc., etc. until we leave for the bus stop.

So one day last week Rory came home announcing that she had "eaten two breakfast-es." Which basically means she went into the school early and got breakfast at school with her meal card. I explained to her that if she eats at home, there is no need to eat again at school, as it costs us money and we've already spent money on the food she's eating at home. Her response? "But Mom, Mrs. Bousselot just gives us a free ticket. It doesn't cost any money!" Okay, so about 15 minutes of explanation later, I think she understood she was not to eat breakfast at school.

I really thought I had it cleared up. Until last night. I went to a meeting at church, and Mrs. Barr (who works at Rory's school) mentioned that she had seen Rory that morning at breakfast. Oh, really... Turns out Rory's had breakfast almost everyday at school.

So I came home and asked very nicely if she had been eating breakfast at school. At first she silently denied it (is it not really lying if she just shakes her head "no" and doesn't actually say "no"?), but then fessed up when I reminded her to tell the truth. It seems that the $1.75 breakfast we've been buying has consisted of one thing and one thing only....cinnamon toast.

From now on we'll be having something more "treat-like" with breakfast pretty much everyday. Maybe cinnamon toast, a donut, a danish to go with the cereal/waffle/peanut butter toast. Apparently Rory's sweet tooth wakes up in the morning with the rest of her!

Work of the Week Wednesday!

Introducing Maricle Mom's newest feature.....

Work of the Week Wednesday!

Its only kindergarten, but Rory brings home an amazing amount of "work" every week....things she's cut, pasted, printed, taped, painted, stapled, etc. Soren brings home some stuff, but its mostly pictures she's drawn during center-time. Soren's "work" is generally things she does at home while Rory is practicing her requisite skills. Each Wednesday we will feature Rory's pick-of-the-week from her school folder, and a piece of "work" that Soren has completed.

A disclaimer: This week, I picked the Work of the Week, only because I had a meeting at church last night and got home after the girls were in bed, and then had to solve a breakfast issue with Rory (check back tomorrow for that story) before she went to sleep, so I didn't have time to let her go through her folder. Next week they'll pick their own, I promise!

This week, Mrs. Bousselot (Rory's teacher - a sweet, soft-spoken woman who has already dealt with the Maricle Mom phone call/email issues of spilled-milk-in-a-book-bag and my-daughter-wants-no-gravy-for-hot-lunch), sent home a packet explaining how we can help our kids practice writing their name consistent with how they are learning it at school (i.e., "the kindergarten way"). They use a program called Handwriting Without Tears. This was also used in preschool, and it starts out teaching them how to write in all capitals, then switches them to lower case, hence "the kindergarten way." (Its crazy-confusing to switch them like that, if you ask me, but whatever.)


Rory is pretty good at writing her name, but has had trouble adjusting to keeping it on a line (they never had to put it on a line in preschool...isn't that weird?), and has had a bit of trouble getting the slant of the "y." So we practiced. Rory instructed me on how the practice session should go.

It sounded like this:

"First you draw these happy faces with a line after them."

"Then, you write my name with a yellow marker on the top two lines."

"Then make dots where I should start my letters."

"Then I trace your yellow marker, and do the rest by myself."
She had an example that Mrs. Daniel, the classroom associate, had helped her with, so I could see how it was done.

But Rory also dictated how the reward/praise system should go:
"Then when I'm done, you ask me which one I think I did the best on."
"Then you put a little sticker next to the one I say."

She likes consistency, I guess!

Scroll down to the bottom for pictures of how they came out in the end. Not bad. I have Soren trace the yellow highlighter as many times as she's willing (I think the most she's done at once is 10 or 12). She also does not do too badly. And you can see, I'm starting Soren out with the lower-case letters on a line, just to see what happens. If she ends up in military school, you can say "I told you so."

She's catchin' on!

Today Chris was giving me a hard time because I have a stash of food in a Rubbermaid container in the basement. (His actual words were, "I saw your bin of food in the basement, Bert!")

He was referring to my Grandma Bert, the original couponer and bargain shopper. Her "back bedroom" is literally filled with goods she's purchased on sale, for free, etc. over the last who-knows-how-many years. At one time (I'm not sure what the current status is), you really couldn't walk more than a couple of feet into that room. Chris has made it clear that if my bargain shopping goods ever begin to take over a room, he will take away my coupons and newspapers.

Anyway, he made the comment about the bin, and I explained to him that all the food in there was stuff I got for FREE, and why-oh-why would I leave it in the store if it was FREE?!? Rory overheard this conversation and pointed out,

"Mom, you always want to buy stuff that's free. You won't even buy anything if its not ON FREE!!"

You are correct, my child.

Thanks, Sara!

My best friend Sara sent me to a nice site to get this background (Cutest Blog on the Block). Her blog is also very cute. (The link is on the right.... three to get ready....) I somehow feel that I need thunderbolts to replace the pretty flowers. But they didn't have that option. I may still look for something more super-hero-ish. When you look at my blog, I would feel better if you could just imagine the flowers are thunderbolts. Will you do that for me? Please? I'd be oh-so-appreciative!

Do I like this format?

I was not in love with my previous blog template. I'm not really in love with this one either. Any comments or suggestions? Too bad I can't figure out how to use all those crazy backgrounds/music/embellishments other people use. Too bad, indeed.

"I'm a Granny"

Last weekend we helped my mom and dad move. ("We" means Chris and I. Rory and Soren sort of "helped" when they returned from cousin Becky's house on Saturday night. More comic relief than anything.)

While unpacking we came across a stack of crocheted doilies. Now, I myself do not fully appreciate the beauty and intricacy of such items, but apparently my mom does. Because she had a ton of them. After the "special" doilies... (Aren't they really ALL special? Oh, excuse me, let me get my tongue out of my cheek before I continue!) After the "special" doilies were put away, Aunt Sukey helped the girls dress up in the leftovers/discards/lesser specimens.

Soren must have an appreciation for the very old and intricate, because as soon as she was "dressed," she used her creakiest voice and a short crouched walk to channel someone much older than her three years. Here's a picture. She walked a short way a across the room, creaking out, "I'm a granny. I'm a granny. I'm a granny." It was truly hysterical (and a little historical, I'm sure)!

Did you know I work for Walgreens?

Or....
I made money shopping at Walgreens today!

Yes, I made money today shopping at Walgreens. I happened to wake up very early and started perusing the online ads and such, and then worked up a couple of deals I just couldn't pass up. Here's how it went down.

I bought:
Crest Pro-health toothpaste - 3.79
Chemistry conditioner - 7.99
Lip Moisturizer stick - 1.99
Cuticle oil - 4.79
(2) Dawn dish soaps - .99 each (regular 1.99)
Nivea men's body wash - 4.99
Gillette Fusion razor (w/ bonus!)- 9.99
(2) Prep H wipes - 3.99 each
Neutra air kit - 9.99 (regular 11.99)
(2) Poster boards - .25 each (regular .79)
Total before coupons
53.07

Then for my coupons:
$10/$40 purchase (supposedly this can be used only if $40 is your total AFTER manuf. coupons - my checker let me use it first)
$4/1 Gillette Fusion
$5/1 Neutra Air kit
(2) .50/1 Dawn dish soap
$3/1 Prep H
$2/1 Prep H
$3/1 Chemistry conditioner (Aug ES book)
(2) $2/1 Prep H (Aug ES Book)
Total after coupons
21.07 OOP

I then submitted my receipt for both the August ES rebates and the September ES rebates. I get them put on a Walgreens gift card, so I get a 10% bonus. That means I'll be getting back:
Neutra Air - 3.00
Crest - 4.79
Chemistry conditioner - 7.99
Lip moisturizer - 1.99
Cuticle oil - 4.79
Nivea body wash - 4.99
Total: 27.55 + 2.75 bonus = $30.03

I made $9.23 today shopping at Walgreens!
(The bad part is I could have done better if I'd planned ahead and had more coupons for some of the rebate items. Oh well.)

Soren's First Day of Preschool

Soren has been waiting to go to preschool for a long time. It has been especially hard during the past week since Rory went to school.

Before we get to the actual "first day" documentation, I'd like to share a couple of

Soren's preconceived notions about preschool:

1) Anytime anyone asks Soren what she thinks she's going to do/learn/play at preschool, she says, "PAINT!" This has occurred during many, many conversations with many, many people over the last many, many weeks. She seems to think painting is what you do at preschool. (I do admit, painting is a novelty around here. I really don't ever let them do it. Unfortunately, there was no painting today. Don't worry- she lived.)

2) When we visited the preschool classroom last week, her teacher asked me if she was going to go by "Soren" or "Sosi" at school. I hadn't really thought about it, so I asked Soren what she thought. At first she said, "Soren. My name is Soren." Then she thought for about three more seconds, and said, "They can call me 'Dragon', because I breathe fire." (I really don't know where that came from. Really, I don't.)

On to the FIRST DAY:

After breakfast Soren put on her new dress (without help, and without saying, "I can't," even once!) and we put her "Welcome to Preshool" paper and mandatory Kleenex donation into her backpack. We took pictures outside, and then we were off to school. She wasn't even a little bit nervous when we got there, just super interested in the play kitchen. (She was so interested that I had to pull her away from it and put her back in the line to get her nametag, etc.)

Some pictures:

"I'm so excited to go, I just cannot stand still!"

"I am really annoyed that my sister has to be in MY picture!"

"I am so distracted! Is that a play kitchen over there?"

Soren gets a boo-boo....

Today after Chris got home, he took the girls out in the front yard to play and ride bikes, scooters, etc. (I still don't let them play out front by themselves. I just don't trust drivers on our street.) After a few minutes I heard the door open, and a quiet whimpering sound. Then, as if she just HAD to spill the beans to anyone she could, Soren said,

"I'm BLEEDING, Copper and Tilly!"

Apparently they were the first "people" she saw, and she was really needing some sympathy. It was the funniest thing I've heard in quite a while.

It was not a huge deal - a fall off the scooter and a scrape on the inside of her ankle. Nothing a little Curious George band-aid couldn't fix.

Kindergarten... Here she comes!

Rory's first day of kindergarten was Tuesday, August 19th. She was really excited....up at 6:15 to get dressed! Note the cool brown and pink backpack (the product of about six trips to the store due to her inability to decide on one) and the Hannah Montana lunchbag (Dad thinks she's a little young for Hannah Montana, but it was the easiest decision of all).

Soren was also excited to take Rory to school. She really can't wait to go to preschool next week. (Stay tuned for further information!)

We all drove Rory to school and walked her to her classroom where she hung up her backpack and put her lunchbag in the lunch basket. Then she sat at a table and found some beads to string (mostly because I just wanted a picture of her sitting at a table). She really wanted to play with the wooden dollhouse she'd seen at Unpack-Your-Backpack Night, but unfortunately, it was not a choice.

If you're sitting there thinking, "Gosh, there aren't many kids in that classroom," there are two explanations:

1) We were a little early. School doesn't really start until 8:15, but we got there about 7:55 (slight over-acheivers that we are). They let the rest of the kids in at 8:00, so I'm pretty sure once Chris and Soren and I left the room did fill up a bit more.

2) In kindergarten, they do a "split-start," meaning Rory only goes with one-half of her class every-other-day for the first two weeks, while the other half of the class goes on the alternate days (that's a rather technical explanation for kindergarten, isn't it?). After Labor Day, the entire class will be together everyday.

It was an early-out day, so Rory came home on the bus about 1:30. It seems that her favorite parts of the day were:

1) Riding the bus

2) Eating snack (goldfish crackers and OJ)

3) Going out for recess (something about walking on a swinging bridge)

Tomorrow she'll ride the bus TO school. She's REALLY looking forward to that!

*On a side-note, Rory wasn't feeling well at the end of the day. In fact, at dinner time she was running a low fever. She got really concerned that she won't be able to go to school tomorrow. She seems to be better this morning!

Rory is FIVE!!

Rory turned FIVE years old on Friday, August 8th!

She had a celebration that lasted almost three weeks:

* Chuck E Cheese with Alayna & Westin 2 weeks before

* A party at Grandma & Papa's (Julie & Mark) 2 weeks before

* A party at Grandma & Grandpa's (Sharon & Rob) 1 week before

AND...

* A fun day with Mom, Dad & Soren on her birthday!

If you saw my posts on "Making the Cake," you know that Rory wanted a Barbie birthday cake. I delivered, with the marvelous Barbie cake decorated in pink frosting. I must say, I thought she'd be very excited. Here's a video of her reaction on when she woke up on her birthday. You be the judge:

She really enjoyed it later on with the candles and the singing. (And yes, it was really hard to get the candles on there without starting Barbie on fire!) The cake was really good, if I do say so myself. We ate bits and pieces for a few days. Yummmm!

We waited for Chris to get home from work and then Rory opened her presents. (She had already opened all the "good" presents from the Grandmas and Grandpas, so these were more functional from-Mom-and-Dad-type presents.) Here are a few pictures. Please note the FOUR band-aids on her thighs where she got FOUR "kindergarten shots" the day before her birthday. (My hearing is still recovering.)

Yes, that is a DVD of Hairspray she is holding. My kids love musicals. Even musicals that are mild-to-moderately inappropriate in nature. Ask them to sing "Good Morning Baltimore" for you. Its a great experience! And the boots are for walking to the bus stop in the rain.

After presents, we went to Culvers and then hit Rory's highlight of the day... going to Toys R' Us to spend some of her birthday money!

She looked at almost everything in the store, saying about several things, "We'll remember that this is here, and if I want it we can come back and get it." It seemed as if she'd been looking for one special thing without even knowing it. When she laid eyes on it, she HAD to have it- no question! What was this magical toy? Bunk beds for her baby dolls!

She even had enough money (and kindness) leftover to let Soren pick a toy. She chose a baby you can bathe in real water. For a while they referred to it as "Soren's Washing Baby," but soon added an extra syllable. Now the baby has historic political ties and is called, "Soren's Washington Baby." (I try to correct it, but they just don't even hear themselves!)

It was a great day, and now Rory's looking forward to kindergarten!

Check back as Rory heads off to Ekstrand Elementary School!

My Great Deals - Aug. 3 - 9

I went to CVS and Walgreens this week. I stocked up on some much-needed goods, and saved a lot of money in the process. Take a look:





This is what I got at CVS.






(2) Chex Mix - 2/$3 (regular 1.99)
(2) Dawn dish soap - .88 each (reg. 1.69 each)
(2) Colgate Advanced - 2.99 each (reg. 3.89 each)

(1) Fusion razor - 9.99
(1) Childrens Advil - 5.79 (reg. 5.99)

(2) Cover Girl TruBlend makeup - 7.99 each
(2) Pert Plus - 3.69 each
(2) Index cards - 1.49 each
(2) Pilot pens - 1.99 each
(1) CVS toothbrush - .79

(1) candy bar - .79

Total before coupons: 58.42

Minus these coupons:
(1) $2/$10 CVS purchase
(2) .50/1 Chex Mix
(2) .50/1 Dawn
(2) $1/1 Colgate
(1) $4/1 Fusion razor

(1) $1/1 Advil
(1) B1G1 Cover Girl coupon -7.99
(1) B1G1 Cover Girl - in store special - 7.99
(1) B1G1 Pert Plus - 3.69
(2) $2/1 Pert Plus
(1) B1G1 index cards - in store - 1.49
(1) B1G1 pens - in store - 1.99
(1) Free CVS toothbrush - .79
(1) Free Hershey bar - .79
(1) ECB - 5.79
(1) ECB - 5.00
(1) ECB - 2.00


Total OOP = $5.90



*ECB's out = 12.79, ECB's earned this trip = 12.79!



* I really wanted to take advantage of the Buy $5 Pert product, get a $5 rebate on school supplies, but I kind of messed it up. The receipt only shows the price of one Pert Plus, and the other is marked as "free," so I guess I didn't meet the minimum $5 purchase. Oh well!




I had to wait until Tuesday the 5th to go to Walgreens, because that's when the Kellogg's rebate started. Here's a picture of what I got:




Here's out it worked out:

Transaction #1:

(6) Pop Tarts - 5/$10

(2) Corn Pops - 4/$10
(2) Froot Loops - 4/$10


Total before coupons = $22.00

Then I used these coupons:
(2) $1/2 Kellogg's cereal
(3) $1/2 Pop Tarts
$3 Register Reward (RR)

Total OOP = $14.00


* I earned (2) $5 RR's on this transaction, and I will mail in the Kellogg's $10 rebate using this receipt.


Transaction #2:


(2) Shout Wipes - 2/$5
(2) Frosted Flakes - 4/$10
(2) Corn Pops - 4/$10


Total before coupons = 15.00 + tax


Then I used these coupons:
(2) .75/1 Shout
(1) $1/2 Kellogg's cereal

Total OOP = 12.85


* I earned $5 RR's on this transaction. I wanted to use a RR from my previous Kellogg's purchase, but I was afraid it wouldn't print out since they were the same promotion.

* I also will submit for (2) $1/1 Shout wipes Easy Saver Rebate.


Transaction #3:


(3) Jif Peanut Butter - 3/$5

Used a $5 RR from Transaction #1

Total OOP = 0.00 - FREE

Transaction #4:


(2) gallons of milk - 3.39 each
(2) Welch's jelly - 3/$5 (3.34 total)

Used a $5 RR from Transaction #1

Total OOP = $5.12


*I wanted to use (2) $5 RR's on this last transaction, but the cashier said I could only use one.


Bottom Line for the Week:


For all the stuff pictured above (from both CVS & Walgreens) I spent a


total OOP of $37.87, not including remaining rebates, ECBs and RR's.




My net spending is 37.87 MINUS:

$10 Kellogg's mail in rebate

$12.79 ECBs

$5 remaining RR's

$2 Easy Saver rebate


$8.08 !!!!


(for products valued at $129.31)

That's a savings of 94%!

Step 5: The Finished Product

The cake is finished! We decided not to hide it all day tomorrow. (I am a little fearful of what could happen to it if its not in a safe, visible place at all time.) I'll have to update you on Rory's reaction. I may even try to get it on video. (And if I'm feeling really ambitious, I might learn how to post a video on here.)

It now sits on top of the stove, and the hood light gives it an aura of reverence.

The Barbie cake....

Step 4: Finishing the Frosting

After doing a little time in the freezer, the cake was ready for some good amounts of frosting. I tried to make it swirly like Video Lady described as "billowing fabric," but I'm pretty sure I fell short in that area. It was nice knowing no one but my happy-to-be-5 daughter would be critiquing my skills. (And don't forget, she has never seen Video Lady's rock-star version.)

Overall I was happy with how the large amounts of frosting covered the uneveness of the cake layers. Chris was impressed with the outcome (but I don't think he looked too closely at Video Lady's cake, either).

Once the skirt was done, I had to wrap Barbie in Press N' Seal. I then discovered that she was too tall for the cake, with everything above her thighs sticking out of the top. I solved this by turning Ballerina Barbie into Contortionist Barbie. I used a couple of rubber bands to bend her legs backward. Then she fit fine. I'm hoping the physical effects are not permanent.

Once Contortionist Barbie was stuck into the cake, I "piped" some frosting on her bodice. Really I just used a Ziploc bag with the hole cut a little-too-large. The instructions say to make rosettes, and by golly that's exactly what Video Lady did. Not me- mine are more like pebbles of frosting. They eventually all blended together. Here's what she looked like before I finished her hair, wiped off the plate, etc., etc.

Stay tuned for Step 5: The Finished Product

Step 3: The Crumb Coat

This is pretty much where I gave up on the techniques of Video Lady. This crumb-coat is supposed to be a very thin coat of frosting to hold the crumbs onto the surface of the cake so they don't show on the finished product. Video Lady even went so far as to use a strip of paper to smooth the cake on all sides from bottom to top. (I did not smooth it that much, and was lucky enough to have the alternative she suggested- an off-set spatula.)



After the crumb-coat was on the cake, I had to freeze it for 45 minutes for it to set. We had to make room in the big freezer for the cake plate, which included figuring out how to suspend the pedestal between some frozen spinach dip and a box of Cheerios. (If you want to know why I have cereal in my freezer, come back Saturday to read about the great grocery deals I got this week!) So far, so good.


I got so preoccupied with positioning the plate in the freezer that I forgot to take pictures of the finished crumb-coat. This is what it looked like stacked up on the plate, before I put the crumb-coat on. (I even used the parchment paper strips recommended by Video Lady to keep frosting off of the serving plate.)

Coming Soon.....Step 4: Finishing the Frosting

Step 2: Trimming the Cakes

Step 2 was totally easy. I trimmed the rounded parts off each layer, and cut the "bowl" layer in half. I used my extra-large-really-sharp serrated knife, and it worked just fine. I didn't even freeze it first.

Step 2 also involved cutting the 2-inch holes in the middle of each layer. The ultra-prepared demonstration lady on the video used a cute "decorative cutter" (although it looked suspiciously similar to a biscuit cutter to me). I couldn't find anything that small, so I just cut the holes with a knife. Nobody is really going to see them anyway!

Stay tuned for Step 3: The Crumb Coat

The Barbie-cake-baking has begun.....

I've studied the video on the web, I've used my positive imagery, and now the wheels have been set in motion.

Step One: Baking the Cake Layers

*First, a disclaimer: I realize in my original plan I stated I would be baking the cake, frosting the cake, and assembling all cake-related items AFTER the kids go to bed tonight. Then, when re-reading the instructions, I noticed that it said, "TOTAL TIME- 3 HOURS and 40 MINUTES"!

So, for those who know me well, you know that I can't stay awake past 10:30 p.m. to do much of anything, let alone create a Barbie doll dress out of sugar and sprinkles! I decided the best course of action would be to let the girls help me bake the layers, and then do the frosting/assembling after bedtime. Hopefully this will go okay!*

The cake mixing went pretty much according to plan. I used my big Kitchen Aid mixer. I greased and floured the pans and bowl. (The instructions say to use 2-8" round cake pans PLUS a 1.5 quart bowl with a diameter of 8 inches across the top. My bowl was about 7 3/4 inches, but I'm figuring I can make up the 1/4 inch with frosting.)

The round cakes just came out of the oven- I was hoping for as little doming as possible, but I can see that we are going to have to trim some off the tops. That is also going to be true for the bowl cake. Its actually domed so much that its cracked a bit on top.

We're headed to the doctor this afternoon (Rory's 5-year checkup with shots), so I will let them cool until we get home. The video then describes freezing the layers for a short amount of time so they trim easier with fewer crumbs.

Stay tuned for Step Two: Trimming the Cakes.....

Countdown to THE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Rory's 5th birthday is Friday, 8/8/08. (I keep getting reminded that its coming up by the TV because that's the same day the Olympics start.)

Rory wants a Barbie cake, and I've come across this wonderful creation at Betty Crocker.com that looks really cute and girly. It uses a *REAL* Barbie doll placed in the center of the cake, and then the lower half of the cake is her skirt. My own personal expectations for the outcome of this cake are pretty high. (Although I am trying to be realistic: I've not ever been really successful at the piping of frosting, [which is necessary to cover the doll's upper body], and I'm not sure I have the skill to cut the "dome" off of the inidvidual cake layers without them breaking in half.) I have wisely chosen NOT to show the Betty Crocker picture to Rory in the hopes that she'll be super-impressed with whatever low-rent version I am able to pull off. (This is also why I have not posted a link to the beautiful Betty Crocker version.)

Even though the big day isn't until Friday, I'm starting my prep work today. Here's a rundown of the tasks I hope to complete:

Monday: *Buy cake mixes, frosting, candy sprinkles and Barbie doll.
* Re-read directions printed from website.

Tuesday: * Watch a Betty Crocker web wizard make the entire cake on a video.

Wednesday: * Complete positive visualization exercises by imagining myself making
perfect frosting swirls and rosettes, and trimming the cake layers swiftly
and easily. (I might even try to dream about this perfection.)

Thursday: * Take a nap in the afternoon.
* Bake cake layers, assemble, and frost after the kids go to bed.

Stay tuned for updates on my progress...there's more to come!

CVS Deal of (Last) Week

I hope I don't confuse you...the great deal I am about to explain happened LAST week, and is not available anymore. (Parts are, but not the entire thing.) It was super great, so I just have to share!

I bought:

(1) Infant Advil - 5.79 (regular price - 6.49)
(1) Chlorophyll tablets - 3.38
(20) Candy bars @ 2/$1 - 10.00 (reg. .79 each)

Then I used these coupons:
$1/1 Infant Advil
$19.99 ECB's

My total OOP was 18 CENTS!!!
Plus I got 10.79 back in ECB's.

Total value of 25.67 for 18 CENTS!
My husband is starting to get impressed.

Walgreens Plan - Get more cereal!!

Here's my best scenario for getting the most out of the Kellogg's rebate and Walgreens cereal sale.

According to the Kellogg's website (http://www2.kelloggs.com/Promotion/PromotionDetail.aspx?PID=9117), to get the Kellogg's $10 mail-in-rebate, you must purchase 10 items ALL IN THE SAME TRANSACTION. I am learning that doing multiple transactions at any one store increases your rewards for that store, so this made my scenario a little more difficult. And the register receipt MUST BE DATED AUGUST 5TH or AFTER!

I plan to buy:
(2) Froot Loops
(2) Corn Pops
(6) Pop Tarts

The total price for these should be $22 + tax. (Cereals 4/$10, Pop Tarts 5/$10, added one Pop Tart to get the 10th item needed for the Kellogg's rebate.)

After using (2) $1/2 cereal coupons, and (3) $1/2 Pop Tart coupons, and $3 in RR from a previous purchase, my OOP is $14 + tax. I then should get $5 RR for the cereal (pg. 1 of the weekly ad), and $5 RR for the Pop Tarts (pg. 3 of the weekly ad). Plus I can use this one receipt to get the $10 mail-in-rebate (MIR)from Kellogg's.

Summary: $14 OOP
- $5 RR (cereal)
- $5 RR (Pop Tarts)
- $10 MIR
$6 PROFIT!!!

I will probably stock up on more cereal without the Kellogg's MIR, and it should still be a good deal.

Pickles, pickles and more pickles...

Ok, so they are not really pickles! Our two cucumber plants have been producing like CRAZY!! Last week we picked over a dozen nice, big slicing cucumbers. Over the weekend we were gone. When we went to check the garden this morning, we found TEN huge cucumbers. The vines were a bit dry, so hopefully these taste as good as the others. I'm waiting until the heat goes down a bit this evening to water them.

When I told the girls there were too many to carry, Rory retrieved the doll stroller from the shed. Not what I would have thought of, but it worked perfectly!

Happy Birthday Westin!!

Our friend Westin turned 7 years old on Friday, July 25th!

We were in Cedar Falls to help Grandma Julie & Papa Mark work on their house, so we got to help Westin celebrate. Since Rory's birthday is also coming up, we went to Chuck E Cheese in the afternoon with Westin, Alayna, their mom (& my best friend) Sara, & their Gramma Connie. Chris & Grandma Julie also joined us. I didn't take any pictures there (only because I was too busy "visiting" with Sara, Gramma Connie & Grandma Julie). Chris was pretty much in charge of the games and stuff. Here is the only evidence I have that we were, indeed, at Chuck E Cheese:

Rory & Soren used their tickets from the games they played (Westin & Alayna generously donated their own tickets, too) to choose various high-quality pieces of plastic from the Chuck E Cheese prize counter. They each chose one of these wonderful funny face masks. Just to be clear, the tongue in the picture is Rory's own tongue, it was not included with the mask!

Later that night, we went miniature golfing to celebrate Westin's birthday. There were 11 of us in all, so we split into two groups. Papa Mark even went - which is a birthday miracle in itself! The little girls had some interesting strategies to the ball in the hole! Westin was very patient with Soren's antics. Here they are posing together:

Afterward we went to Westin & Alayna's for cake and ice cream. Their mom, Sara, made an awesome iPod cake. (I have visions of what Rory's upcoming birthday cake is going to look like, but I'm not sure I'll do as well as Sara did on the iPod cake!)

Alayna, Rory, Westin & Soren

Maricle Mom presents....

Superheros in Training!!

These are the greatest pictures we've taken all summer. I JUST LOVE THEM!!

All they need now are capes, gloves, and some wings!

Just for the record, the girls have been super-impressed with a few things I've accomplished lately. Here's a short list:

* Saved a "ruined" Baby Alive diaper with some scotch tape.

* Concocted a wonderfully yummy treat consisting of tortillas, PB, bananas & chocolate chips. (And when I tasted it, I wondered what was so great about it.)

* Produced a box of graham crackers from the cupboard & a can of chocolate frosting from the fridge for simultaneous consumption.

And of course when they ask with awe-inspired curiosity, "How did you do that?!?", I reply:

Because, I'm MARICLE MOM!!

(And Rory replies, very deadpan, non-enthusiastically, "Oh, right, I forgot. You've got that picture on the computer.")