Farewell Starbucks Coffee…

Sadness abounds, as I drank my last cup of Starbucks Coffee for a while today.  I was lucky (blessed) to have received this gift in December:

For the past few years, Starbucks has sold for ONE DAY in December a tumbler similar to this.  It’s price isn’t cheap – in 2011 the cost was $19.95 – but for the entire month of January, I have been able to fill up my tumbler with coffee, as often as I wished.  It’s the Grande Size (that’s medium or 16 oz for you non-Starbuckers out there), so at approx $3 per cup coffee, that’s a steal.

I figure I had between 20 and 25 cups of Starbucks this month – positively a good deal and excellent gift.  And now I shall be a little less caffeinated as I go about the next 11 months drinking a LOT LESS Starbucks.  🙂  It’s a nice way to splurge and enjoy a treat for a short period of time, and I’m restrained enough to NOT pay the Starbucks price normally.

Don’t worry, I’ve already set a blog post to remind everyone who wants one for January 2013 to sign-up for Starbucks alerts in November/December!

Merry Christmas, early!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Homemade Crayons

For GO’s party favors, we had all sorts of assorted Princess Olivia things (wands, cupcakes, rings, tiaras) – but I also made homemade crayons to share.

This was about as easy as it could possibly have been.  I was SHOCKED by how simple these were to make – and my only regret is not having more of the molds, so I could make them quicker.

I started with very cheap crayons and sorted them by colour – I kept all the shades together to have an assortment.

The Purple Pile

Then we stripped the wrappers off and broke the crayons into 3 or 4 hunks.

Sorting out the "chunks"

We dropped them into the mold 3-4 hunks per heart (I mixed the shades up, but kept the colours separate).  There was a little glitter in the trays – and next time I think I’ll sprinkle more – it makes for a pretty shimmery crayon!

From there, it was about 10 minutes in a 250 degree oven (keep a close eye until you figure out what YOUR oven does).

Crayons in the Oven

Then let them cool for a moment (about 5 minutes, not to long or they are easier to break when they come out of the mold).

And lay them on wax paper to finish cooling.

Volia!  Heart crayons!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

GO’s Birthday Party

Necklaces 🙂

It’s hard to believe GO is three!  We had her birthday party last night and it was great.  She had friends come to visit (both kids and grown-ups) and it was her “biggest big day ever” (to quote Olivia the Pig).

The Present and Favor Tables (I LOVE the banner!)

"DREAM BIG" Olivia plates

The theme was Olivia the Pig – red and white – and I think it was adorable!  I only purchased a few items from Birthday Express, and picked up the rest from Dollar Tree (hey – solid red and white are the same no matter where you get them).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We had a few salty/savory snacks (Cows in a Blanket, Puffcorn, Chips & Salsa, Veggie Tray, Fruit Tray) to go along with the cupcakes.  I made GO a special red icing cupcake – then we had big white icing cupcakes for the guests – and Cookie made tiny pink cupcakes (“Pig Butts w/curly pig tails!) to share.

The kids sat and ate and played all while watching “Olivia” on TV.  I think the girls were especially thrilled with the Princess Castle (Cookie gave one to Sister Sheep for her birthday, too).

GO looked so grown-up waiting for everyone to sing, before she blew out the candles.  I am glad her daddy, CPA, was able to be there, too.  When we moved on to the gift table, I was so proud of how well GO said “thank you” to each person when she opened gifts, without anyone prompting her!

Her aromatherapy cow - she LOVES these things!

After opening her presents she gave out her gifts (cupcakes, wands, rings, tiaras for girls and homemade crayons).  It was a wonderful evening, and I thank God that these were just a few of the many people in her life that love her.

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

FYI: Olivia the Pig’s Official Website and The “Olivia” TV Show Website – 2 different places full of OLIVIA!

Then Sings My Soul – Book Review

This is Robert J. Morgan’s third foray into the back story of our traditional Christian Hymns, and I have to admit as someone who purchased Books 1 and 2, I was wondering if I would find songs I love in Book 3 – or would only the rarely sung, rarely cared about songs be left.  I was pleasantly surprised and excited to find hymns such as “Come, Thou Almighty King”, “Victory in Jesus”, and “He Touched Me” gracing the pages of this book.

I love page long histories of each hymn, and the fact that the hymns are included in their full form (not just lyrics, but music also).  However my favorite part of Book 3 is in Part 3: Hymn Stories I Love to Tell.  In it, Morgan takes the time to relate longer stories, beginning with the complete tale of the story that lead to “It Is Well With My Soul”.  As I read his words, I realize that not only does he have a gift for story-telling, but the love of hymns as a means of worshiping our Creator God.

When an author is passionate about his subject, it shows.  This book is the high point of the Trilogy, and an excellent resource for ministers and lay people alike.

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Happy Birthday, GO!

Me and My Girl

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE LITTLE GIRL!

It is SO hard to believe she is three, already!  Last night we had a special dinner for her:

Birthday Dinner: Lemon Chicken Pasta and Roasted Potatoes

Then had some delicious cupcakes from where Sister Sheep had her party (The Lemon Tree Bakery).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I think it really hit me she was getting to be a big girl when she blew out her candles all by herself…  It’s those little things that you don’t realize are gone in a moment.

I’m so proud of my girl and I thank God every day that I’m her Mummy.  I can’t wait to see how she grows!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Sister Sheep’s Birthday Party

Twin Cousins!

WOOT WOOT for cupcakes!  Today was Sister Sheep’s birthday party (in anticipation of her birthday tomorrow, Uncle Firefighter Sheep is working – so this way her entire family could attend).  She held a “Mummy and Me” Cupcake Party at a local Cupcake Shop.  I have to pause here and say THANK YOU to the Awesome “Lemon Tree Bakery”.  They swooped in at the last minute when the original cupcake shop canceled the party and gave Sister Sheep an AMAZING afternoon.

We arrived, and GO hung out with her friends (thanks Miss A for remembering GO’s birthday and bringing a present, too!) and we took a ton of pictures.  There were delicious cupcakes in the front case, but I managed to hold out until the end to purchase any.

When everyone arrived, we moved back to the back of the shop where the girls decorated cupcakes at a real bakers table they had lowered to little girl height.  They were given a choice of strawberry, chocolate or vanilla cupcakes (GO chose Chocolate – no surprise) and REAL icing bags to use.  Then there were a variety of sprinkles and cupcake topping to choose from.  My favorite was the handmade fondant flowers prepared for the girls.

GO finished her cupcake and waited for Sister Sheep to blow out her candles (she even sang along!) before they dove in.  BooSheep had added pretzels and puffercorn to the mix so they would have salty treats to balance the sugar.  I was proud of how well GO ate.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Best part?  Mums got to make cupcakes, too!  Here is my beautiful creation!

My Perfect Cupcake

After eating, we all sat down and watched Sister Sheep open her presents – and received our special treat from Sister Sheep (such pretty and personalized goodie bags).

I cannot say enough good things about The Lemon Tree Bakery.  They were absolutely amazing, coming in at the last minute to hold Sister Sheep’s party.  The cupcakes were AMAZING (I brought a half-dozen home to share with boys in the house, and celebrate GO’s birthday with).  I also loved how, at the end of the party, they presented Sister Sheep with a GIANT CUPCAKE to take home with her .  It was huge (enough to feed 4-6 people) and beautifully wrapped.  I wish we lived closer!  (Actually, that would likely bust our budget!)

Thank you, Sister Sheep, for inviting us!

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE “TWIN NIECE”!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

LSU Pasta

For my birthday, BooSheep found me some LSU pasta.  I couldn’t blog about it in November, because Minnie Mouse was receiving a package for Christmas, and it was a secret.  🙂

I made a honey ginger salad with my pasta, and I’ll use the rest to make Italian Chicken Salad for lunch tomorrow.  But isn’t it pretty?!?! (And tastes great, too!)

Thank you, BooSheep!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Snow Day Cake Pop

All Smiles for Ms. Y! THANK YOU!

Thanks to one of the GREAT teachers at GO’s preschool, after she woke up from nap today she had a Snow Day Cake Pop to eat.  She was a sweetheart and “shared” with Mummy – so I got to taste a nibble or two.  Cake Pops are always a yummy treat, and this one was doubly special, since she thinks everything good right now is for her birthday!

YUMMY!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Birthday Snack (and Snow Day!)

Very proud of her candles and crown!

Today was GO’s birthday snack at preschool.  She took fruit ka-bobs (banana, apple, kiwi) and Cool Whip (the non-dairy off brand…I loathe the real Cool Whip for adding dairy), which seemed to be a big hit.  I LOVE how they put her candles in her topping and she loved her pink crown (it’s all she could talk about on the way home).

Her pretty pink crown!

Blowing Out 3 Candles!

Eating the "Cool Whip" w/Ka-Bob Stick

Best of all, it was also Snow Day – where the kids “ice skated” in their socks, played with fake snow and threw snowballs (rolled up socks).  I was lucky enough to be in the snow room with the itty-bitties (the 1 year olds) taking pictures for Mrs. B (GO’s teacher from last year).  This meant I knew what GO was going to get to do, and that made it a LOT easier to interpret her sentences on the way home!  BooSheep grabbed pictures for me  – and I love the one of the Twin Cousins!

Sweet Sister Sheep on the "Ice Skating" Rink (I LOVE this hat!)

Twin Cousins on Snow Day - I can't believe they are almost THREE!

Can’t wait for tomorrow for more Birthday celebrating (this time for Sister Sheep’s party!).

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Pillowcase Dress and Mini-Dress

Saturday is Sister Sheep and GO’s Birthday – and the parties are split on two separate days, so the girls can go to each other’s.  Sister Sheep is having her birthday party at a cool Cupcake Shop – a Mummy and Me Party!  BooSheep had mentioned that Sister Sheep didn’t have many clothes for her new baby doll, so I went online and searched around and came up with this idea: Pillowcase dresses, matching ones, for Sister Sheep and her baby doll.

WOOHOO! Big Girl Dress for Sister Sheep is done!

Whew!  I didn’t exactly follow anyone’s tutorial, they all seemed far more complicated than it should have been in my head, but here are my step-by-step photos of the process.  It took about 3 hours to make both dresses, but that was mainly because GO wanted to “HELP”.  Which wasn’t helpful.  Plus, I had to keep unplugging the iron and sewing machine to minimize the chances of disaster.  When she laid down for her nap, I flew through it!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And….drumroll please….the final product:

Me and Baby Doll Dresses!

YAY!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(