Oreo pudding cake

So I wanted to make a cake because I have like ten+ cake boxes in my pantry. As usual, though, I can never just make something as is, it has to be more interesting! So I was thinking and thinking about how can I make it with more....oomph? I figured now would be a good time to add the Christmas Oreo's (the Oreo's with red center) and of course pudding! So here is how I did it:

• First I crushed up some Oreo's and added them to yellow cake batter (made with the eggs, oil, water) and baked it for the specified time. 
• After it came out I poked holes in it. 
• I made some pudding mix and poured it over top (I didn't put the pudding in the fridge like you normally would, I just let it sit for a minute or two to thicken a little, but not too much). 
• Then I added some more crushed Oreo's on top. To crush those ones I put it in a bag and just crushed them like that. With the red filling in the Oreo sticking to the side of the bag, it looked like a bloody mess. Would be a good Halloween gag! 

I was seriously thinking about putting from frosting or whip cream on top (I have some Vanilla whip cream in the freezer!) but I just got too damn lazy. I personally think the cake should be a little more moist but everyone else loved it. I guess I'm just too critical of my own work (I tend to find something wrong with every thing I make).

By the way, I had a wonderful helper.... 

 ....One who also likes to lick the beater AND the spoon! My girl!

Diaper Motorcycle

So I was looking through pictures for something and I found an old one of a diaper motorcycle I made for someone's baby shower about a year ago. The camera quality isn't that great on the picture but it came out pretty awesome. Especially considering at the time I didn't have much money and was using all things I had from my baby. Now because it was from a year ago I don't have any more pictures of it or any tutorials but here is the site that I got the tutorial from. It is super easy and fun, too. People at the baby shower loved the monkey (diaper) motorcycle.
Click here for tutorial -->Diaper Motorcycle Tutorial

Next time I make one of these it will be so much more awesome and I will have a tutorial of my own for it. I just have to wait for someone else to get pregnant. 

Freezer Breakfast Burritos (And Muffins!)

So I have started my "make food now because I wont after the baby is born" routine. Well, its not really a routine, but I am making it one. Anyways, I have decided to start with breakfast burritos (and muffins, but those were boxed, so they don't count). If there is anything useful that I have learned when I worked at McDonald's it is making burritos.

So what I used was simply bacon, egg and cheese. Now, obviously, you can use whatever else in it. Sausage would be great, but I am using that for a sausage, biscuit and gravy casserole so I chose the bacon for this. If you like you can add onions, peppers, hot sauce (which I didn't put any in the burritos but they put some on afterwards and loved it) anything that would freeze well.

So, lets start from the top, with the cheese. I used shredded on some, sliced american on others. If you use american, break the slice in half and lay it on the tortilla bread. Then add the egg over top. Then add some bacon or sausage. I rolled them up after that and bam! That is is. Then I wrapped it in cling wrap and after I had six of them rolled up (there were more but the men ate some) I put it in a freezer bag and labeled it, dated it and wrote the cooking time on it (microwave 1-2 minutes). I didn't get a picture of that (toddler running around my feet constantly, you understand...), but I have one of the muffins: 

The muffins microwave about 30 seconds a piece or you can heat at 350* for about 10-15 minutes. I wrapped them in foil. Mm...those pumpkin muffins are good, too.

Both the muffins and burritos are good about 3 months frozen! 

So there you have it! It works for people who are busy, too. Or just lazy. Heat it up for the kids before school, after school. Its a great grab-n-go.

Organizing the Girl's Clothes.

So we have an abundance of clothes for the girls. So many people have given us bags of clothes the past two years that I was running out of places to put it. After Isabella started outgrowing her baby clothes I started cutting them into squares to start her baby quilt. Not all of them, but most of them. Then....surprise! Baby #2. Another girl. I still had a bunch of leftover clothes, not to mention what Isabella was wearing at that time would be saved. Then we got even more clothes from our neighbor. It just kept adding on and on and I couldn't keep up! It was overwhelming trying to fit both Isabella's clothes and Emily's clothes in one closet. I finally finished organizing it today. One side to toddler, the other side to baby. This is the finished result:

Finally the clothes are separated, organized and put in pretty stack-able boxes.

So the left side are "Big Girl Clothes" (the clothes Isabella will grow into), "3T" and then "2T". On the right side is Summer clothes on top, T-shirts and pants in the middle and sleepwear on the bottom. Hanging up underneath (as you can see in the top picture) is long sleeve shirts, then dresses, then sweaters/jackets and finally some more skirts/pants (each hung with specific color hangers.) And the Monster High bucket next to the stack-able bins are Isabella's socks.

So for Emily's side I have her diaper bag on the left. Then I have some hats in a coffee can I covered with pink princess duct tape (topped off with her coonskin hat!). Her 0-6 month pants are in the red holder. Then on the right is her 12 month clothes, 18 month clothes and 24 month clothes. If you look at the second picture above, you can see her hangers are also organized by color starting from 0-3 months, then 3-6 months, 6 months and then 9 months. There are some more newborn and 3 month clothes in my bedroom next to her bassinet, as well. 

As you can see there are a LOT of clothes and it took me a few hours to get it all straightened. There it is though. Im so excited and I feel so accomplished that I just had to show someone. 

Secret to Easy Cleaning the Trash Can.

How often do you clean out your trash cans? I know I hardly ever do...maybe that is why the bottom looked so completely disgusting. I kept putting it off and putting it off until finally I couldn't take the "eww" anymore (as Isabella would put it). So, let's start from the beginning.

I was cleaning my bedroom; that is a task in itself. By the time I got done I was too tired to really clean out my "eww"-can so I just squirted some soap in it, filled it up with some hot water and left it sitting in the bathtub overnight. The next day I emptied it and....It was still pretty disgusting. I didn't really want to scrub it considering it was gross and I didnt wanna touch it. I mean, how does a small bedroom trash can get wet stuff at the bottom anyways? Then any paper and what else sticks to it and....You get the idea. So this time I put some dish soap and bleach in it, filled it with hot water, let it sit for a minute and BAM! CLEAN! So clean that all I had to do was dry it out. No scrubbing, no nastiness, no nothing! To prove it, I will show you a picture. Now I didn't think to take a before picture but if your trash cans get anything like mine, I'm sure you can imagine. 

This is my trash can. See how clean the inside is?

This is Isabella's can. Somehow her dirty diapers leaked into the can and got all wet and gross on the bottom with some Cheeto's and something else stuck to it. As you can see, clean as can be at the bottom, now. 

What Does Baby Really Need??

There are so many baby products now-a-days. What do you get? Do you really need this?? What about this? And is this a waste of money? Most of us don't have much money to begin with and we don't want to spend what little we have on something completely useless. So here is what you need:

Crib - Crib, bassinet, somewhere safe for your baby to sleep. If you get a crib make sure it passes the newest regulations. They update so often...

Carseat - You cant leave the hospital without one. This is not something you should get used. My advice - get a carrier. Last thing you wanna do it take your sleeping baby out of their carseat. 

Stroller - Even something simple will do. I have a Graco stroller I got for about $30 from Craigslist. 

Clothes - This all depends on how often you can do laundry. All in all, I'd say:

Onesies/shirts - 8-10 in each size. 

Sleepers - 5-10 in each size.

Pants - 5-10 in each size.

Sweaters - 2-3 in each size. Really, it depends on the thickness and the temperature. One light, one thicker and one jacket, maybe? 

Socks - 5-10. You move up a size every 6 months to a year.

Hats - This really depends on where you live and how cold it is. 

Receiving blankets - 5-10. These are great for so many things. Swaddling, cleaning up spit, light blanket, the list goes on...

Baby blankets - 2-5. A little bit thicket but good for tucking a baby into the carseat, propping up a bottle and keeping them warm.

Bottles - Even if you breastfeed, you will probably want to pump. Start off by getting a pack of eight or so. You will lose bottles and get new ones as time goes on. Make sure to get a bottle cleaning brush

One thing you don't need but I highly recommend is a drying rack. I have a Munchkin Sprout Bottle Dryer. I still use it, two years later, for sippy cups and our regular plastic cups, too. I love it.  Only $9.77 at Walmart. Well worth it. 


Diapers - I've used cheap diapers, name brand, store brand...As long as it does the job. Some brands, such as Huggies and Pampers, offer rewards. There are many ways to save on diapers from coupons to sales and even deals online. Same with wipes. And don't forget the diaper cream.
Baby Wash - Anything with lavender is great. It's calming and soothing.

If you are having a baby shower, wait until after the shower to get things. And DONT get a lot of newborn stuff. 

Diaper Bag Essentials

Packing a diaper bag... This is something that actually varies from person to person. Every situation is different. If you take a bus or don't own your own vehicle than you might want to pack a magazine and some more toys. In the summer you wont need as many blankets as the winter. Whatever your scenario, here are some things to consider putting in your diaper bag:

Diapers - They say for newborns about 1 every hour you are gone. I just put however many I can fit after everything else. That way I never run out.
Wipes - I suggest getting a travel case. They are small, cheap, cute and you really don't need a whole wipes container, anyways. My first baby I carried the whole big container in my diaper bag and it took up too much space. 
Diaper disposable bag - These are really small bags, you can get a little box of them at the dollar store. I love them. They are really helpful when you are at someones house and need to throw out a stinky diaper. 
Diaper cream - This is a must when you have a newborn. Their poor little bottoms can break out so easily. When Isabella was only a few days old her bum broke out in a rash so bad it was bleeding! Apparently this is normal and just needed some kind of butt cream prescription but for a new mom I was freaking out! 
Bottles - I would always pack a bottle in one side pocket and a bottle of water in the other. This way I was prepared to make a bottle no matter where I was.
Formula or breast pump- This is easier with the smaller cans of formula.
Hats - Not so much in the summer but packing a few hats is good for any other season where it can get a little chilly. 
Socks - 2-3 pairs. They can double as mittens. 
Pants/shirts/onesies/sleepers - However many you feel fit for the situation.
Sweater - I always bring a sweater. I would also recommend bringing one for you too, just in case. Even summer can have chilly nights.
Receiving blankets - About 2. They come in handy for many thing. Same with burp cloths.

Also I will just add here that if your baby uses a pacifier you can get a "baby bag" really cheap. Its a small little pacifier bag that you can stick on your diaper bag.

Some extra things to consider bringing are things like sunscreen, book (one for you and baby), pen and paper (this definitely comes in handy!), a snack for yourself (a moms gotta eat!), toys (age appropriate like a rattle or something small they like).
Some people like to include emergency information in their diaper bag. I mean, don't go carrying your social security card or anything! I would hope that goes without saying, though.

Like I said, it all depends on your situation and needs for what you bring and how much; this is just what worked for me. Good luck and don't forget you will adjust your bag like 50,000 times before you get it how you like it.
Hell, my second baby I don't even use a bag!

Hospital Packing List

So if your a first time mommy, things can be pretty stressful. All the questions you have tend to add up. Trust me, I completely understand! What does baby really need and what are just added conveniences? What do I bring to the hospital? Is this too much or too little? The list of questions go on and on.....
Luckily, us experienced mommies are here to help! I'm gonna tell you just what you need for the hospital trip based on my experience.

~*~First off I would like to add that many hospitals have tours so you can see where you will be staying. Schedule a tour. Its very helpful and gives you a chance to ask what the hospital provides, as well. ~*~

So here is my list of basic things you should bring to have a comfortable stay:

Bathrobe - Invest in a fluffy bathrobe ASAP. You will not regret it. Its an easy way to cover up with all the people coming in and out of your room.

Comfortable clothes - Pajama pants or sweat pants and a baggy t shirt are your best bet when it comes to comfort. Also, make sure it's something you wouldn't mind getting ruined. You bleed a LOT afterwards. 

Slippers and/or fuzzy socks - Something to slip on and keep your feet warm. Something better than hospital socks...

Comfortable underwear - You know the underwear you save for when you get your period? You remember what a period is, right? I know it's been a while. Well, those are the underwear you want. The loosest, biggest, granny panties you can find. They usually provide the underwear which is actually comfortable. You will be wearing big, BIG pads afterwards and if you prefer your own underwear make it big ones. 

Toiletries - Your basics will do. Everyone has different basics. I personally use hairbrush, hair ties and deodorant. Some women consider makeup an essential. Whatever you bring, keep in mind you are only there a few days. No need to pack your entire bathroom.

Snacks - Pack some snacks and water bottles. This is the second most important thing (the first being ID and medical card). You never know when your gonna have to take that trip to the hospital and sometimes by the time you actually have the baby, the cafeteria is long closed. Pack a snack and some change for vending machines.

Entertainment and electronics - Camera and charger, of course! If possible make sure it is cleared off before hand so your not last minute trying to delete pictures just to take a few (been there, done that!) Cell phone and charger so you can let everyone on Facebook know your little one is making their debut appearance. Bring a tablet, kindle, magazine and anything else to keep you occupied. I mean, lets face it, baby will be sleeping most of the time you are there and hospital cable isn't that great. Even an iPod and some headphones would be good.

Pillows and blankets - Bring extra. Trust me. My poor man was so cold sleeping there two nights with me. Even with the hospital pillow and blankets required, the snow storm that hit really made the room cold. 

And Last but not least, just pack the diaper bag and bring it with you. No sense in packing for the baby and then coming home and packing a diaper bag. Just make up the diaper bag now,

I hope this was a helpful list. One more suggestion I have is to print and fill out this handy Birth planner from thebump.com and give it to your doctor or the hospital staff. Now get packing! Sometimes these babies like to come a few weeks early!

The best homemade cleaning solution!

This is the best cleaning solution! I love making it. 

• 1/2 cup Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Dish Soap
• 1/2 - 1 cup hot water

I put it in a spray bottle I bought from the dollar store. Just throw a label on it (or heck, just write on it with sharpie) if you have multiple bottles of cleaning products. Super easy and cleans just about anything! Plus the vinegar disinfects. Also, add a little baking soda for extra cleaning effort.