tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123630452024-03-07T01:15:25.332-08:00Two going on twenty.Tales, recipes, and general observations from the unique perspective<br>
of a mother of two kids with an 18 year age gap, <br>and "bonus mom" to an active middle schooler.<br>
Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.comBlogger898125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-91468517791679959792018-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:002018-01-26T15:55:38.604-08:00LEGOLAND- the game!My 5 year old son really loves Candyland and he really loves LEGOs!
I came up with an idea to combine the two things and create
LEGOLAND: The Game!
It was actually really easy and doesn't take a lot of materials or crafting skills. I spent $15 total on all of the materials needed.
I used felt and glue and large toddler Duplo block as my stamp to make the circles on Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-45534366436155593212017-05-17T21:54:00.000-07:002017-05-18T14:58:06.187-07:00A girl I used to know.
You may encounter many defeats,
but you must not be defeated.
In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats,
so you can know who you are,
what you can rise from,
how you can still come out of it.
~ Maya Angelou ~
It had been an extra hot Summer in Seattle. I was 19, living in the Bel Fiore apartments on Capitol Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-89065939091238153302017-03-12T22:30:00.000-07:002017-03-13T16:28:28.265-07:00Art.Love.Miyazaki. One of the beauties of buying your forever home is that you can take creative license with the design. I joke about putting slides where there would be stairs, and painting whatever I want on the walls. I'm lucky to have a husband and children who appreciate my art and were all for letting me do what I want in the "art on the walls" department. (We are still in negotiation aboutMichelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-5661203149827541332016-08-14T13:00:00.000-07:002016-11-15T16:07:17.885-08:00Stairway to Heaven (AKA I FINALLY painted the ugly stairs!!)We just celebrated our 1st anniversary of owning our house! When we purchased the house, it had been divided into a duplex by walling up the stairs and breaking up the natural flow between floors. Creating a 3 bedroom apartment upstairs and a 2 bedroom apartment downstairs.
When I realized this, just after I had finished painting the fireplace, and saw light coming through from an Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-15560093129387184622016-08-05T21:00:00.000-07:002016-08-09T11:16:31.914-07:00Happy Birthday to me! I got the best and sweetest birthday gift ever this year!
A new baby that my son promptly name Yo-Kai Kitty!
Here he is investigating a sunflower from my garden:
OMG he is the cutest!
Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-2909581752202337842016-03-16T18:16:00.000-07:002016-03-17T14:51:35.465-07:00My DIY Vintage Dream Kitchen RemodelIn August (on my actual birthday) we purchased a lovely new house!! It was built in 1954 and has so much Mid Century charm! We are having the best DIY time remodeling it by ourselves.
Since it is a pretty big house, at some point over the years it was split into a duplex with a 2 bedroom downstairs and a 3 bedroom upstairs. This means the house has TWO KITCHENS!! Yes, you heardMichelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-85990652558982809322015-11-26T11:18:00.000-08:002016-03-10T11:19:54.496-08:00You say Piecaken, I say Cherpumple...Behold the Cherpumple!!
Otherwise known as the Turducken of Thanksgiving desserts.
Here we have 3 different pies baked into 3 different cakes, covered in buttercream, and topped with caramel and crumble. I warned my guests that it was either going to be amazing or awful, but it was a challenge and I had to accept it.
Luckily, the consensus is that it was AMAZING!! (There is something Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-55450651153740886192015-09-19T10:29:00.000-07:002016-03-10T10:32:49.504-08:00Happy 3rd Birthday Sean and Joia!
After one of the longest work weeks ever, and before moving all of my belongings from one house to another (Did I mention we bought a new house last month?) I thought I'd take a few hours to celebrate two amazing kids who were born on this day 3 years ago.
Happiest birthday to My sweetest son, Sean and his favorite little bestie, Joia. Here are your cakes!
Hello Kitty and Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-69007663890814812832015-07-03T20:33:00.000-07:002015-07-03T20:57:46.057-07:00Beat the heat with Healthy Snow Cones! (Dye Free, Syrup free!)
One of my all time favorite things on a hot Summer day is a giant rainbow snow cone.
Every time we pass the isle in the store with the machine, those cute little cups and the shelves of rainbow syrups, Sylvia begs me to buy them. I love the idea of making them ourselves, but hate the idea of the amount of sugar the kids would be eating.
Today I got inspired in the store whenMichelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-80894767025768846242015-06-06T12:17:00.002-07:002015-06-06T12:17:47.059-07:00The Dukes of Hazzard Birthday CakeI was asked to make a Dukes of Hazzard cake for a 9 year old boy's birthday party this weekend. I was SO excited for this challenge since I was a huge Dukes fan when I was a kid. I didn't realize they were making a come back with the kids. His mom already had the cars, and asked that I create something fun using them.
This is what I came up with.
It is chocolate Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-76932892746306681192015-05-31T13:19:00.000-07:002015-05-31T13:23:07.370-07:00Up-Cycled garden bench using old dining chairsWe had these dining chairs sitting outside for the Winter. They got pretty beat up. The wood on the backs were splitting, the cushions pretty rotten, but the structure was still sound. I decided to turn them into a Garden bench to use on the patio.
I collected my materials. I had Home Depot cut a pretty inexpensive but sturdy piece of wood to fit the seats.
Sean Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-63588171897739162212015-05-26T07:23:00.000-07:002015-05-26T09:25:02.542-07:00Pinterest Challenge
I've got so many great things pinned on my Pinterest boards, I decided last week I was going to start working my way through them when I have time and trying to re-create some of the things I've pinned. These are the first two that I came up
These are Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies that I made from THIS RECIPE pinned on my Just Desserts board. I loved making these almost as Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-70708561066199718942015-05-12T21:58:00.002-07:002015-05-12T21:58:56.015-07:00Coconut Banana Bean Cake
I made these for Preschool snack day tomorrow. Turned out really good!
#GlutenFree #NoSugar #KidsSnacksMichelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-13690262735616189292015-05-07T22:33:00.000-07:002015-05-07T22:33:59.229-07:00Nananananananananana BAT Tri-i-i-i-ike! Last week, on our way home from dinner, we picked up a Kettler Kettrike Alana Tricycle with Pushbar in a free pile on the corner. I was excited because I had been thinking about buying one. Since they usually run around $100, you can imagine how stoked we were to see one sitting right there for free, the only bummer was it was all pink and white and princess colors. I'm sure the boy Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-83071017471914997392015-04-30T23:49:00.001-07:002015-05-01T15:25:39.325-07:00"Some Pig!" cupcakes for Charlotte's Web The one thing I love baking for as much as preschool snack day are school bake sales!
ESPECIALLY when there is a theme involved. My bonus middle child is in a play this weekend! They are doing a production of one of my all time personal favorites, Charlotte's Web.
These are the cute little Wilber cakes I just finished making for the opening night bake sale. I love their Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-76968975763231045902015-04-26T08:25:00.003-07:002015-04-26T11:48:55.710-07:00Leftover Rice PB&J PancakesI made this for my kids today, they really loved it. It is a perfect thing to do with leftover takeout rice.
For the boy I made a short stack of peanut butter and banana:
For the girl I made the classic PB&J and I garnished with a couple of banana slices. I just made the layer in-between jelly and topped with the PB fluff:
I'm pretty excited Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-42260088999255850612015-04-25T09:41:00.001-07:002015-04-25T09:42:42.691-07:00Kids, musicians, and a red dress makes Michelle & Sean's Winter wedding shine | @offbeatbrideOur wedding got featured on one of my favorite wedding websites. I checked their site out a lot when I was looking for inspiration! Check it out!
Kids, musicians, and a red dress makes Michelle & Sean's Winter wedding shine | @offbeatbride
Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-63081407636758337462015-04-18T12:56:00.001-07:002015-04-22T13:10:05.414-07:00Make a tiny garden with your tiny tot! I've been trying to come up with activities that will get the kids outside and keep them occupied. This idea is super easy, fun, and really not very expensive. You can create an adorable garden that your child can nurture all Summer for less than $20.
He picked a nice pinwheel to finish the decoration.
First we picked up a fence at Home Depot. Then I let the boy pick whatever Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-52671869701305849752015-04-03T14:57:00.000-07:002015-04-03T15:14:54.999-07:00A Healthier Peep Just in Time for Easter!When I was in the store the other day I saw the Wilton Peeps Mold and had to buy it. I was instantly inspired to make my kids a healthier version of the fun holiday treat!
I once again used my healthy chocolate cupcake recipe that I've also used to make healthy donuts.
Instead of dipping them in dark chocolate, this time we used up the rest of some white chocolate bark that I had Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-19220248011467085612015-02-27T21:29:00.001-08:002015-04-22T13:02:09.376-07:00Healthy Chocolate Doughnuts made with Garbanzo Beans and Avocado! (White sugar free and gluten free)After I made those healthy chocolate cupcakes last week, I decided to test them out as mini doughnuts! I thought the texture could lend well to a cake doughnut. The first thing I did was order a perfect pan for my cupcakes. I love THIS PAN so much, I ordered a 2nd one today!
My recipe made enough for 3 dozen of these mini doughnuts.
Aren't they so cute!?
I followed my Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-83092325365327318432015-02-16T17:38:00.000-08:002015-04-22T12:34:17.291-07:00Winter Sangria Recipe from our Winter wedding This was a HUGE hit! Even the bartender asked me for the recipe after the wedding. I lightened it way up from the usual Sangria recipe since it was a Sunday afternoon and I didn't want our guests to get loaded. I wanted something light and perfect for a Sunday Winter Wedding.
This recipe is to be made in a large Mason jar dispenser for a crowd (as pictured above) I'm sure you Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-66075358277535597272015-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:002015-03-10T14:51:10.875-07:00Our Perfect DIY Winter Wedding (on a budget) 01-04-2015We met in the Winter and fell in love in December, so we really loved the idea of having a Winter wedding. Since we had Sylvia for the majority of Christmas break, we decided that the weekend before she went back to school would be the perfect time. The day was amazing. Everything really fell into place. The colors were neutral tones with bursts of red and green. It Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-18800084198590003362015-02-16T10:58:00.001-08:002015-02-16T10:58:24.569-08:00Garbonzo Bean Yellow Cake recipe for preschool snack day. (dairy free and gluten free) For Valentine's snack at preschool I decided to try to create a healthier cupcake. This is what I came up with! It was a hit with the toddlers and the parents! We have a dairy allergy at preschool so this recipe is also Dairy free, but where it says vegan butter you can always use regular butter if that is not a concern)
1 can drained and rinsed Garbanzo beans (approx 2 cups)3Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-33149135351179497172015-02-16T10:51:00.001-08:002015-02-16T10:51:52.248-08:00Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes made with Garbanzo Beans and Avocado! (White sugar free and gluten free)
1 can of Garbanzo Beans (Drained and rinsed thoroughly)
4 eggs
6 oz (1/2 can) of 100% apple juice concentrate (Melted)
1/4 cup of honey (Increase to up to 1 cup if you prefer a sweeter cake, but I liked it fine like this)
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoons baking soda3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup coco powder
Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363045.post-27266503680510968432014-10-30T20:00:00.000-07:002015-02-16T11:01:46.490-08:00Happy 2nd Birthday!!
We had a nautical themed birthday for Sean and his birthday twin Joia. (They were born 5 hours apart in the same hospital with the same doctor.)
I was excited about the frosting, because I finally got a chance to try out the ombre effect I had been seeing on my favorite cake blogs!
The mermaid is a Monster High doll and the seaweed is made from sugar glass. I made the Michelle Auerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00782155348130571381noreply@blogger.com0