rainbow cake!

On saturday, we celebrated my bestest friend Gina's 30th birthday! I knew that I wanted to make her an epic cake. I also knew that I wanted it to be RAINBOW! I set my sites on pinterest and found TONS of tutorials.  

I also found a lot of skepticism regarding rainbow cakes. Saying most pictures were photoshopped and your cake would not turn out like theirs. 

IT DIDN'T MATTER! I was on a mission. 

I set out making my cakes. I used 3 cakes (Betty Crocker White Cake). I mixed up the first and divided into two equal parts. I added food coloring and baked. I repeated that process two more times to get all six layers! 

[this is what my cakes looked like. i was nervous because the purple looked more brown.]

anyway, once everything was cool I began to stack the cakes. I put a very thin layer of green icing in between the layers to hold everything together. I did one layer of icing all over and put in the fridge for about an hour. The icing hardened up and I was able to do another layer to make it a tad nicer looking! I added the skittles into a rainbow for fun! 

I was SO nervous when she began to cut into it. I just knew the cakes were going to be ugly!

IT WAS PERFECT!!!!!

[this is absolutely NO photoshop, taken with my iPhone at night!]

I don't always toot my own horn but for a cake like this, it has to be done. If I can make this cake - seriously, anyone can! And it's perfect for any occasion, for any person! 

peanut butter!

when I was planning mandee's baby shower, it's safe to say that I went a little overboard in the mason jar department! that being said, expect a lot of DIY's involving them on this here blog!

my first - peanut butter!
I saw it on pinterest, of course, and knew I had to try it out! the only problem is that I don't have a food processor! I just have a single serve smoothie maker (kinda like the magic bullet but cheaper!) and I was skeptical that it wouldn't turn out right!
well - I was wrong! it is perfect and I'm never going back to store bought again!

(original pin/recipe here: http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/07/homemade-peanut-butter.html)

mine:
1 jar of planters honey roasted peanuts

pour into food pro/mixer/blender and blend until desired creaminess! I had to stop a few times and push it all down and reblend since I was working with a small machine!

kullen's party!

i got so many of my ideas from pinterest and pinned them all here! although the party turned out great - i am hoping it will be the last one in our house! 
either a) we do something somewhere else or b) we're in a bigger house!
[but, i digress ...]


the party was amazing. every tiny detail was perfect and i really think the kids had a blast. i was determined to get pictures since i felt like i didn't get many last year. 
we managed to snag some tables/chairs from adam's job site so the parents/friends had places to sit outside while watching the kids play on the swings, cars and in the bounce. 


kullen was surrounded by all his family and friends. he is such a loved little boy. we are so blessed.

[bakarella inspired cake pops made by my MIL!]

[cake made by ME!] 

frozen yogurt puffs

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/frozen-yogurt-dots.html

I have seen this all over pinterest and, of course, wanted to try but never did so. well, not until yesterday! kullen wanted some of Rhys' yogurt puffs so I let him try. well, of course he loved them and wanted to eat them all and that's when it dawned on me. let's make you your own puffs!

so we went into the kitchen, grabbed two strawberry gogurts and squeezed them into a plastic bag. I cut the corner off and squeezed little
dots onto a cookie sheet. we popped them in the freezer and a little bit later, kullen had his very own yogurt 'puffs'!!

they were quick, easy and really good! they melt really quick though, which was okay because we, of course, gave Rhys a few! ;)

poag soap!

you've seen them all over pinterest

DIY laundry soap!

well ever since i saw them, i knew i wanted to try it out!

when i first mentioned to the hub, he said 'no thanks - i'd rather dish out the extra money for good smelling clothes'

but now that i'm not working, i think his mind has changed ;)

so, one afternoon while the kids were napping

i got to work!
[this is the PIN i used, btw]

grated my bar of soap - ivory

[that i paid .49cents for with a coupon]

put it in a pot with a gallon of water and brought to a boil

added 1cup borax and 1cup washing soda

removed from heat

[aka - poured into paint bucket]

added a gallon of cold water

mixed well 

poured/funneled into my two 1gallon containers

i also added a few drops of lavender essential oil

of course made vinyl decals using my silhouette machine to make it pretty :)

it doesn't bubble up like normal laundry soap but it definitely works!

and it cost me less than $10.00 for 2 gallons of laundry soap. 

[and i still have enough leftover for 4 more gallons!]
you definitely can't beat that!! 
thanks pinterest!