-Magic Santa-

This site was actually shown to me from another blogger, so I cannot take credit for it.

MommyKnows.com

But, Magic Santa is a site where you can make an online card to send to someone you love!
Be it your children, spouse, friend, coworker, boss, or even a neighbor!

It gives you the ability to create an unique video card from Santa himself to whomever you send it to!
Choose options from the name, age, what they want to be, their achievements this year, to what they would like for Christmas!
It also gives you the opportunity to personalize the card even more by adding the receivers photo, as well as the senders!

Here is the one I made for Kaylee! Check it out!
Kaylee's Magic Santa Card!

I also made one for Elizabeth! She was very surprised and excited!
Especially when Santa Clause said her name and how old she was!

If you would like to send one to someone you love just visit:
Magic Santa to make one of your own!

-First Steps-

Kaylee is 14 months old and is just starting to walk!

 We are so excited and so is she!
She'll take a few steps while giggling and smiling, then fall on her bottom.

She gets so excited that she starts to sprint and loses her balance.
It's very cute to watch.

Just thought I'd share this proud moment with all of you readers!

-Kylie

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-Chocolate Cream Oreo Pie-

This is a very simple pie to make this Holiday Season!

No pie baking required!

 You will need the following items...

1 Oreo Pie Crust!

1 Box of Jell-O Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding!

First, prepare the Jello Pudding Filling.

*Bring to a boil two cups of milk and a box of Jello Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding Mix, on medium heat in a medium pot.

Note: Make sure to stir constantly, as it will burn onto the bottom of the pan very quickly!

*As soon as pudding starts to boil, remove from heat.
*Pour Jello Pudding into the Oreo Pie Crust and refrigerate.

Note: Wait until pie is cooled before eating!

Note: You could also use two boxes of Jello Pudding Mix instead of one to create more filling.

Optional: Top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle crumpled pieces of Oreo Cookies on top before serving.

Option 2: Instead of Oreo Cookies Sprinkled on top, try shaved chocolate!

Don't Forget To Enjoy!

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-Homemade Apple Pie-

Here are the ingredients you will need...

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter, Chilled and Sliced
1/4 Cup Icy Cold Water, refrigerate at beginning of crust making process for extra chill

Pie Filling Ingredients:
1/3 to 2/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Butter
Pinch of Salt
8 Medium Sized Apples, about 1 Cup each apple (Macintosh are best!)

First prepare the dough for the crust, this needs to be done either 4 hours prior to pie making or the night before...


Crust Preparation:
*In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
*Cut butter in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
*Stir in water, small amounts at a time until mixture forms into a ball.
*Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for either 4 hours or overnight.

Note: When you take out the dough in the morning it will be harder feeling, but after a few moments at room temperature it will soften again.

*When you are ready to prepare pie, cut the dough ball in half.
*Roll each dough half to fit a 9 inch pie plate.
*Press 1 dough half into the bottom and sides of the pie plate
*Hold other half nearby to cover the pie before baking after you have made the filling.

Apple Pie Filling Instructions:
*Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
*Peel, Core and Slice Apples, try to keep slices even.
*Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl.
*Stir in apple slices.
*Pour apple mixture into the pie crust lined plate.
*Dot top of apple mixture with Butter.
*Lay the other half of the pie crust over the top, pinching the edges to seal it.
*Use a cooking brush to moisten top with a small amount of water. 
*Cut slices into top of pie crust with knife.

Note: To make extra details: Use a fork to press along the edges of the crust at the seal. And if you are really brave, cut top of pie crust into strips and make a woven pattern for the top instead.

Optional: To prevent browning of the edges cover edges with tin foil, remove foil carefully during last 15 minutes of baking.

*Bake Pie 40-50 Minutes or until crust is a golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.
*Cool before eating, it will be very hot!

Don't Forget To Enjoy!

Note: Try adding whipped cream or eating this pie with vanilla ice cream!

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-Betty Crocker Cookie Brownie Supreme Bars-

If you're in the mood for something different to snack on...
Why don't you pick up a box of Betty Crocker Supreme Bars!
This is not only a brownie, but a chocolate chip cookie too!
It's like taking two of our favorite snacks and smashing them together into one great treat!

It's has fairly simple instructions too! It starts out like your making two different recipes, being that there are two bags of mixes; Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix and Brownie Mix.

After you set your oven, you will first prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the box. You will need to spread the brownie mix into a greased pan.

Then, you will need to prepare the cookie mix according to the directions on the box. After, disperse spoon sized amounts of the dough evenly onto the brownie mix that you have spread into the pan.

Now, bake according to your pan size and type.

And last but not least! DON'T FORGET TO ENJOY!

Note: This was not a paid post. I bought Betty Crocker's Supreme Bar Mix with my own money.

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-Click To Give-

Click to Give is a site which helps different causes.

Causes such as;
 -Animal Care
-Feeding the Poor
-Stopping Child Abuse
-Ending Homelessness
-Fighting Cancer
-And Sponsoring Children.

You are only allowed one click a day.
And it NEVER asks you for money and you don't even have to sign up for anything if you choose.
But, if you choose to sign up, you can get rewarded for your 'clicks'!
So be sure to come back daily to help out a cause of your choice.

Click To Visit Click To Give!

Or Click A Cause Below To Help!

ANIMAL CARE

CHILD ABUSE

END HOMELESSNESS

FEED THE POOR

FIGHT CANCER

SPONSOR CHILDREN

Note: I support this site out of my own free will, as I grew up with an abusive parent and wish to support stopping Child Abuse. This was not a paid post.

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-Kisses-

A statistic from Yahoo says...

"Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don’t."

So, ladies, don't forget to smooch your man before he leaves for work in the morning and wish him a good day.
Just another way to bring you closer together as a couple too!
Little things such as; love notes left in pockets/wallets, a random surprise kiss, or telling them how happy they make you.

So, take the time to show that special person how much you love them.
Remember, to the world you may be one person, but to one person you are the world.

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-Freecycle-

Mr. EM, Kaylee and I will begin our move on Thursday, into our new apartment!
I personally cannot wait, as I love unpacking and organizing the house!
It always makes everything so clean and organized.

To keep your home organized, try picking a cabinet or closet, or even a corner of the room,
And clean it out, organize it and throw out or recycle to things that you never use.

If you feel guilty about throwing out a perfectly usable thing, then recycle it!
Remember, one person's junk is another person's treasure!

Most towns have either a donation center, such as Saver's or the Salvation Army.
Or an online Freecycle group, some towns
To join a Freecycle group in your area, simply go to the Yahoo Groups
And Search for [Insert Your Town Here] Freecycle.
You have to join the group to get e-mail alerts for the group.
(I suggest making a separate e-mail account specifically for Freecycle alerts as you can receive up to 100 e-mails in a day, consisting of Offers, Wanted and Taken items.)
And don't forget to say Thank You! If you do in fact receive an item. 


Freecycle Group is specifically designed to help eliminate trash buildup in our dumps by recycling.
You offer your unwanted items to the members of the freecycle group in your area for free.
You are not allowed to sell anything in this group, this is only for giving your things away for FREE.

Now you are not allowed to ask for anything expensive or for animals.
And you are limited to how many times you can ask for something, so don't be greedy.
I believe you are required to Offer an item before you are allowed to post a Want.

So, if you are feeling charitable and have a cluttered house full of things you don't use/need,
Check out Freecycle.or through Yahoo Groups!

Yahoo Groups

Note: I am a member of a freecycle group and it helped me through getting almost everything I needed for my daughter when she was born, as I don't have a lot of money. I am very grateful for this group.

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-Ear Piercings-

So, Mr. Murphy and I took Kaylee to Claire's at the mall today where we got her ears pierced!
She was such a big girl, barely cried at all.
We got her purple/pink colored Titanium ball studs.

Another awesome memory to add to Kaylee's Baby Book!
She's not walking yet, but she is getting more and more brave.
It's a little scary when she climbs up on the couch and bounces around all over the place.

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-Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins-

If you want some delicious blueberry muffins without the time consuming task of making them from scratch, then look no further than Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix. 3 Minutes from pouch to oven and the only ingredient you will need is water!

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees or 375 degrees for dark or non-stick pans. Make sure to grease the muffin pan before you do anything or, for less of a mess before and after cooking, use muffin cups.

Step 2: Gather your ingredients. You will need only a 1/2 cup of water!

Step 3: Empty contents of Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix into a small mixing bowl. Then, add a 1/2 cup of water.

Step 4: Stir Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix and water until well moistened.

Step 5: Spoon mixture into the muffin tin cups. Each cup should be approximately half full. (As you can see, I use muffin cups, because it makes less of a mess when it's time to clean up.)

Step 6: Place muffin pan in your oven once your oven is heated up to temperature, (mine took longer to heat up to 400 degrees then it did to make the muffin mixture!)

Step 7: Important step! Don't forget to set you timer! Bake 16-21 minutes or until light golden brown. To test if they are done, press gently on the center of the muffins, if they spring back up they are done!

Step 8: If you did not use muffin cups, wait until they are cooled to remove them from the pan. However, if you did use the muffin cups, then immediately (without burning yourself) remove them from the pan to cool. This should take about 2 minutes, make sure to cool completely before storing.

 Step 9: Eat! Oh wait... Looks like somebody already grabbed one!

Disclosure: This is not a paid post. I personally purchased Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix on my own without persuasion. 

Note: My mother was found to be the muffin thief! Can't even trust your own flesh and blood these days! =]


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-The Snack Trap-

So, if you are a parent to a toddler, then you already know how much of a pain it is to give your child a handful of treats... It usually ends up everywhere but in their mouths. Then when clean up time comes, you find yourself on a treasure hunt of sorts, looking for lost snack pieces...

Luckily, there is a great solution!
The Snack Trap!


 Your little one can reach into the soft plastic lid and grab pieces of food out,
without pouring it all onto the floor! Conveniently give your child snacks in the car or the house without having it everywhere else too!

I currently use this product with Kaylee and have to say it is a great relief to not have to pick up a bunch of food all over the living room floor, because she tosses it!

The Snack Trap comes in all sorts of colors with different designs, from girlie to boy themed! Kaylee's is purple with a monkey, because she's my little monkey. =]

I give this product an A++ and highly recommend it!


Note: This is not a paid post. These are my own opinions. 

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-Birth Control Matters-

About the Campaign

Birth Control Matters is an effort to make no-cost prescription birth control available so that all women can use the method that works best for them and to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
Affordable prescription birth control is an essential part of health care for millions of women.  The average woman spends 30 years of her life trying to avoid getting pregnant. More than one-third of women voters in America have struggled with the cost of prescription birth control at some point in their lives, and, as a result, have used birth control inconsistently.
Making birth control available at no cost is the single most important step we can take to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
The new health care reform law represents the single biggest opportunity to advance women’s health in 45 years.  To make this opportunity a reality, the law must require health plans to provide prescription birth control to women with no co-pays, as part of the prevention provision.  This would be a huge step forward for America – and especially for the many of women in this nation who cannot afford to pay for prescription contraception.

The time has come to provide birth control at no cost to every woman who wants it.

Help us raise one million voices for no-cost birth control. SIGN THE PETITION

Visit http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/get-involved/birth-control-matters-935.htm 
For More Information and To Add Your Name To The Petition.


If You Would Rather Help Add Names To The Petition Offline In Your Area,
You Can Download The PDF. File And Print A Petition Form To Collect Signatures Yourself
BIRTH CONTROL MATTERS PRINTABLE PETITION PDF. DOWNLOAD

Note: This was not a paid post. I support this campaign freely.
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My Review of Nuby BPA Free 2 Handle Cup No Spill Cup with Spout - 7 oz - Orange

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

This Nby Two Handle No-Spill Cup is perfect for beginners! Your little one will find the transition from bottle to cup an easy one with this cups soft silicone spout, unique contoured shape, and textured two handles. You will be delighted with the transition thanks to Nbys valveless, leak resistant...

Nuby BPA Free 2 Handle Cup No Spill Cup with Spout - 7 oz - Orange

Super Leaker!

By Kaylee's Mommy from Pepperell, MA on 10/21/2010

1out of 5

Pros: Easy To Use, Easy To Clean, Lightweight, Durable, Comfortable
Cons: Poor Construction, Leaky
Best Uses: Never
Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

I used this as a first sippy cup for my 1 year old. This was the only one she actually liked having to drink out of... Unfortunately, it leaks when she leaves it on it's side on the floor or she decideds to play with it by "drawing" with the spout on the rug/tile making a huge mess. The liquid inside comes out like crazy the second it touches a surface. Not cool. I threw mine away, that's all it's good for... It does seal good though... That's about it.

(legalese)

-Good Apple Crisp-

If you want a good easy apple crisp recipe, just get a bag of apples and a stick of butter, from your local grocery store and pick up some Concord Foods Apple Crisp Mix. They sell packs of 6 on Amazon.com, which you may need after seeing how fast it went at my home where there was only a couple people eating it.

 
It took about 45 minutes to make and that's including the peeling and coring of 8 apples. Actually, it took 9 apples, but unfortunately I dropped one in the trash while peeling it and I wasn't about to fish it out... Ew.

I apologize for the image quality, I was trying to take the picture fast before more of it disappeared. I would have showed a picture of the whole full dish of Apple Crisp fresh from the oven, but it started disappearing as soon as it hit the counter. Mr. Murphy comes home hungry after a long day of work and I can't say that it didn't make the house smell delicious and festive.
 
Disclosure: The product review above is my own and was not a paid post.

Note: Only one apple was lost in the making of this delicious dessert.

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-Let There Be Leaves... And Pumpkins!-

Besides the new styles that come with the fall, if you have little one's, the leaves are always a great free way to have some good old fashioned fun. Plus, it gets the kids away from the television or computer and into the fresh cool fall air!

 

Her big sister, Elizabeth, was having fun too, as she raked the leaves over to her to make a bigger pile. We had just got back from Kimball's Fruit Farm, after pumpkin picking. Mr. Murphy was a little disappointed that most of the pumpkins were just laying on the ground, pre-cut in the pumpkin patch, which means he couldn't use his knife to massacre the vines... We also grabbed some caramel apples and a hand full of honey sticks. Delicious and Fun!

Don't our pumpkins look lovely? Elizabeth's pumpkin is at the top step, Mr. Murphy ended up carving it after we she ended up breaking the two carving knives that came with the kit. Oops. The middle one is dedicated to the little one, Kaylee, since she can't carve her own yet and prefers to suck on the pumpkin gunk covered scraper instead. And last but not least, the bottom one is mine from when I was sixteen years old, it's the only pumpkin not real. If you would like to make an everlasting creation on a pumpkin, you can pick up a foam pumpkin ranging from $14 to $20 online and in most crafts stores.

 Place online to buy uncarved pumpkins!

 

So, I have to ask... What do you like about Fall?

-Attention Parents-

Please consider getting vaccinated for Pertussis, otherwise known as Whooping Cough.

Pertussis or Whooping Cough is an infection of the respiratory system caused by bacteria. It consists mainly of severe coughing that ends in a "whooping" sound when you inhale. Since the vaccine became available, it has reduced the annual number of deaths to less than 30.
In the recent years, the number of cases has been on the rise. It mainly affects infants younger than six months old because they are not adequately protected by immunizations, as well as children ages eleven to eighteen years old whose immunity has faded.

If an adult in the family has Pertussis and is around a child, it can be deadly. So please contact your doctor to get vaccinated, to protect your loved ones.

For more information on Pertussis or Whooping Cough, please feel free to check the sites below...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whooping-cough/DS00445

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/whooping_cough/article_em.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/pertussis/article.htm

-The First Post-

Hello Readers and Welcome to my Blog!

I hope to have many more posts here ranging from a variety of topics...
-Fashion
-Shopping
-Parenting
-Photography
-Recipes
-Crafts
-And Product Reviews!

I hope you all enjoy reading!