Ever heard of Muffin Tin Meals???

I always seem to be in slump when it comes to lunches so I've been trying to make them more interesting and healthier. I don't know why it is so hard for me to get past the old standby....PB&J!

I'm sure the idea of Muffin Tin Meals has been around for a while, but it is new to me. I found this idea quite interesting so have been doing a little research! Check HERE for some Muffin Tin Monday facts. You will find information about themes for the week and they look like fun! This is a creative way to make well balanced meals that look appealing to kids! What could get any better than this?

So, I joined the Muffin Tin Monday Swap to help get me started! Check it out!

Kid's Mail Swap update....

The kids have started receiving mail from their swap partners. So far Sarah has received mail from Minnesota, New Zealand, and Victoria Australia. There was a package of little treats that were made in Aukland New Zealand tucked away in the envelope....they are very yummy!

Lauren received mail from North Territory Australia, North Wales UK, Queensland Australia, and Michigan. They are anxiously awaiting the their mail!!

Kid's Mail Swap #2 Update

pigeon pair: Kid's Mail Swap
My daughters' mail has officially been sent out...took 30 minutes at the post office filling out all of the little customs forms because the envelopes had bubble wrap on the inside.....I had to tell myself that it will be worth it for them!! They each have 5 partners that are located in various places in Australia, UK, New Zealand, and 2 in the USA. They picked out their own postcards and of course had to choose 5 different ones for each of their partners (total of 10 cards) which was not an easy task! They decided to type their letters instead of handwriting. I justified this because they did write out their rough drafts before typing.....this is the technology age right?? They also wanted to include a miniature book that is a familiar story, but written in German (Hansel & Gretel, 3 Little Pigs, Cinderella, & Pinocchio).

They are very excited to begin receiving their mail. I'll post an update after their swap is complete with a picture of how their mail is displayed.

I can stop stalking the CMR!

The reason for the stalking:

I joined a Mother's Day Swap that was hosted by Confessions of a Moody Mommy a while back. The idea was to receive the package before Mother's Day and as you can guess from my title this didn't work out as planned. For some reason mail that I send out arrives at its destination in a much more timely manner than mail that I receive....well not always, but the majority of the time.

I was waiting at the counter today for the clerk to go fetch my box off one of the many full shelves at the CMR and was very excited when I saw the box had "Office Depot" on the side! Why?....because that means I didn't order it and my Mom's packages usually come in Priority boxes so it was a good chance this was the package I've been stalking them for and it was. The clerk laughed at me when he saw how excited I was to be getting this particular box. I soon realized why the box took soooooo long to arrive as I was walking out of the CMR.
Here is the explanation:


No, that is not someone's name! These 3 little letters (SAM) mean SA-LOW in the mailing world! They stand for Space Available Mail...pretty self explanatory when it is spelled out.

Here are the nicely wrapped presents and card that I found inside of the box:


I of course I ripped open the packages and found 3 lovely gifts. I first opened a cute pair of earrings that are in the shape of starfish. I then opened a very pretty candle that has a unique shape. And finally, I opened the largest of the 3 packages to find a MUCH needed heated neck massager. And like a little kid I opened the card last. I can never prompt my kids again to open cards first because I couldn't even do it myself in all of the excitement!
Here are my wonderful presents:


The card (see above) was very cute and has actually given me some ideas to create some handmade cards as gift sets. I have a stamp that is very similar and rarely used so I think it is time to brush the dust off and add some pretty ink!


THANK YOU very much Christina! Here is her blog if you'd like to check it out....she has a great sense of humor which comes out in her blog posts! I'm glad you were my partner this year!

Kid's Mail Swap

I've recently signed my daughters up for a swap....never too young for a swap! You can check it out HERE. They will each be sending 5 postcards to 5 different kids around the world. I think this project is a great way for them to decide what they should write in a limited amount of space. We are sending postcards because they will have a nice picture of Germany on them and it is something they can pick out themselves at the store. Who knows...maybe they will get a pen pal out of this!

I have a large world map that is made of fabric that we will use to display the cards/letters that they receive. We'll attach them around the map with a piece of yarn connected to the appropriate place they were sent form.. I'll update after their swap is complete.

Sound interesting?? The deadline to sign up is May 11th.