Dirt Cake Cups {Guest Post!}

You know this post where I requested some guest posters because I'm going a little bit out of my mind trying to juggle all my school work, life, motherhood AND my blog? I received so many wonderful e-mails from the sweetest gals offering their assistance. It was so humbling and comforting to know that through this blog I've been able to form some wonderful friendships and these friends do truly have my back. Thank you to all who responded! If anyone else is still interested in guest posting, don't hesitate to e-mail me! The week of the 14th is basically going to be the busiest week of my life, so I'll need plenty of help then ;)

Anyways, enough of that. Let me get to introducing you to the lovely Joni of Six Cherries on Top!

Joni's a sweet mother of SIX. How she keeps her sanity, I do not know, but I'm going to have to pick her brain a little bit. She's prepared this adorable Halloween themed post for you all (how fitting, right?)

Without further ado, take it away Joni!
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Hi, I'm Joni from over at Six Cherries on Top. With a super strict budget, and a house full of kids, I am always looking for fun ideas that are affordable, as well as quick and simple. The weekend before Halloween is always our weekend to celebrate with pumpkin carving, "scary" movies, and a few sweet treats.



One of my kids favorite treats is dirt cake cups. Just like my rice krispie treats, I usually follow the basic recipe and tweek it for specific holidays. Here is the basic recipe and two great ways to dress it up for Halloween.


Dirt Cake Cups


Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding

Oreo Cookies (or any type of cookie such as graham crackers, vanilla wafers, etc.)

Cool Whip (optional)

Food Coloring

Canning Jars (small size)

Gummy Worms (or any type of decoration to finish off the cake)





Prepare the pudding according to directions on the box. In a food processor, grind up cookies to a "dirt" consistency. In a separate bowl, mix Cool Whip with food coloring of your choice. In the canning jars, layer the ingredients, starting with the pudding, then the cookie crumbs, and lastly, the Cool Whip. Continue to alternate ingredients until the jar is full. Be sure that the last layer to fill the jar is the "dirt" on top.






for the first one, i just simply used chocolate pudding and Halloween shortbread cookies. I layered them in the jar and topped it off at the end with one of the cookies.


the second dirt cake cups were made using chocolate pudding, chocolate on chocolate Oreo cookies, and Cool Whip with orange food coloring. I topped them off with a plastic spider and mouse.







I think this one would have also looked great topped with a candy corn pumpkin. it would have even worked with the traditional gummy worms and a few plastic spider rings. the ideas are endless.







Dirt Cake Cups are very inexpensive to make and are sure to please. Sometimes changing up a simple recipe to make it "new" is all it takes to put a smile on your little one's face. I look forward to making these again at Christmas and changing them up again to create a Winter holiday theme.






Thank you to Chelsea for inviting me over to share with you today. I'd love to see you over at my place sometime. Be sure to stop by and say "Hi".


joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

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Another HUGE thanks to Joni for this adorable idea and beautifully done guest post. Please check out her blog if you have not done so already. This post is just a small sample of the wonderful things she does on her blog. Her pictures are beautiful and her kids are adorable! Check her out, ok?

Guest Post, Anyone?

Yep, things are officially going to start getting hectic around here. This time last week I had all of my posts ready and scheduled for the following week (this week) and as of now all the pictures are still patiently waiting on my camera to be edited and sorted through for various posts. So, I'm throwing my hands up in the air, waving my little white surrender flag and asking for help.

If anyone is interested in doing a guest post on my blog, just shoot me an e-mail! I'm open to anything, really. Recipes, DIYs, or just a random post introducing yourself and your cute little blog! Sound like something you'd be willing to do? I would be eternally grateful to hear from you: chelsea.thom90@gmail.com

Even though things are getting hectic, I still have some FABULOUS post ideas (if I do say so myself) and even another giveaway lined up for next week! Trust me, you guys aren't going to want to miss it.

Thanks for all your love and support and welcome to all my new followers :) I want you to know that each time that little follower number goes up, I have a cheesy little smile plastered on my face for the rest of the day. Thank you for supporting me, this little blog of mine, and my journey as a mother and nursing student.

You guys are the best.

Painting Pumpkins

I decided Alea was in need of a little fall craft. Because, who isn't right? She had so much fun painting her "pas" and I had even more fun watching her creative side shine through. I think we have a little artist on our hands...









I think they turned out kind of perfect. Now I just have to figure out how to make these pumpkins keep forever. At least these pictures will, right?


Two clicks for my cute little pumpkin?

Eff, Marry, Kill

This is the funniest link-up I've seen by far. I couldn't not participate!



Eff: McSteamy a.k.a. Mark Sloan a.k.a Eric Dane. How many of you even knew his name in real life was Eric Dane? I sure didn't. I will forever refer to him as "McSteamy"... for oh so very obvious, wonderful, sexy-licious reasons.

Marry: Andy Roddick. He's just adorable. He plays tennis, which I love. Shallow comment: he probably makes a lot of money doing so. And he just looks like the kind of guy who would keep me laughing and fill up my love cup :)
--but Cory does a pretty good job of that too--

Kill: Ashton Kutcher. Really, if you cheated on Demi Moore... I don't even know what to say to you.


Now it's your turn. Do you agree with my choices? Who would you choose to eff, marry, and kill?

Pinterest: It's What's for Dinner {V6}

Who doesn't love fall. Honestly, tell me one person. You can't, can you? It's just a comforting time of year when the trees are beautiful and the weather cools down and then there's the boots, and the plaid, and the scarves. It's nothing short of magical.

But, there's one thing I love more than all of the above: the comfort food. The easy peasy crock pot meals, the soups, tea, pumpkin spice lattes. What did I call it before? Oh yes, magical!

Here are some Pinterest comfort foods I've been drooling over lately:

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

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Fitting since I'm a Minnesotan & absolutely love wild rice soup.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Though my boyfriend makes some pretty mean chicken enchilada soup, this doesn't look so bad either ;)

Crock Pot French Dip

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One of my favorites, but I've never thought to make it myself!

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

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Seriously, what's more comforting than some good and creamy mac & cheese?

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Three Ways

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Mmmm can't wait to make some toasted pumpkin seeds.




What are your favorite fall and winter comfort foods?





**Also, there's an awesome giveaway going on over @ Tales of a Young Mama for a winter coat for your little one! Check it out!

Two clicks for yummy pinterest inspired comfort food?

Wordless Wednesday: Don't Leave Me

For some reason this picture makes tear up a little bit. Maybe because deep down inside I know that Alea will, one day, want to venture out into this world on her own. And that thought completely breaks my heart. Cory and I tell her everyday that she can live in our basement until she's forty if she wants to... but I have a feeling that my increasingly independent and adventurous little girl won't be taking us up on that offer. The only thing we can do in the meantime is prepare her as much as we can for this crazy world of ours. And give her lots and lots and lots of snuggles.








{I'm linking up with the following:The Paper Mama, And Then She Snapped, SuperMom, Live And Love Out Loud, 5 Minutes for Mom, Parenting by Dummies, Angry Julie Monday, Baby Baby Lemon,NapTime MomTog, Three in Three and Project Alicia.}

Elaine

Lately I've been really lonesome for my Great Grandma. She passed away in 2008 after I graduated from high school. I think one of the reasons I miss her so much is because my future as a nurse is becoming more of a reality. {new readers see here}. Before my Grandma's passing, she unfortunately had to be placed in a nursing home. The last time I saw her, was when my mom and I went to visit her a couple months before she passed away. We told her of future plans and that I had finally decided what I wanted to be "when I grew up" and when I told her that my new dream was to become a nurse, her frail response was, "I like that," followed by a smile. Even though I know that she would've approved of whatever I wanted to do (she supported me through dreams of becoming a poet, a writer, an artist, a doctor, a news reporter, you know... all the professions you dream of when you're younger), this approval has always stuck with me. I've always wanted to do this, to become a nurse, for my Grandma Thom. And now I'm finally doing it! Though I miss her, the endless stories she told (sometimes 3 or 4 times in one visit), her incredible cooking, and giggling over card games of "War," I hope she's looking down on me right now with the same approval and excitement she voiced three years ago.

I wish each and every one of you could have met her. She was truly an amazing woman.

She gave the kind of hugs that were so tight and so strong you could just feel the love she had for you.

I miss you so much Grandma.


{source}

And the winner is...

Thank you to everyone who entered my very first giveaway. It was so fun and I'm so sorry not everyone could win! However, we do have one, very lucky winner!




Congrats to Miss Jenn! I'll forward your e-mail along to Kaity and have her contact you!

Week in Phone Pics {5}

1. Our little Packers fan! 2. New shoes for baby! Old Navy, $7! 3. Mmm salad

4. Alea's been asking to sit on the potty chair lately! 5. Headband from Mallorie's newEtsy shop! 6. I kind of love it!

7. Extreme couponing here I come. 8. Healthy dinner for school. 9. Sitting on the potty in her Elmo shirt, holding her Elmo while watching Elmo. Do you think she likes Elmo?

10. Laundry: you will be the death of me. 11. Out for a smoothie w/mama. 12. Anyone wanna guess who dumped Cheerios all over the floor?


All in all it's been a good week. I had class Tuesday and Thursday and got lots of cleaning and organizing done around the house. I got poked and sticked at the doctor and Alea was a really good girl all week long. She's been asking to go on her potty lately, which is incredible. Now if only she would actually do something in it! It's a step in the right direction though, and I'm extremely proud of her. I see diaper-less Target trips in our future... and boy oh boy does that look good!

P.S. My very generous giveaway from Kaity from As We Grow ends Saturday at noon! Get your entries in {here}!

P.S.S. I'm pleased to announce too, that my blogs been accepted and added to Top Baby Blogs! Could you spare a few clicks & vote for my blog? It is very, very much appreciated!



{Linking up with Life Rearranged and A Good Life}