Things I Love Thursday: Cupcakes!

Today a friend and I decided to take the girls to a cupcake shop that just opened close by.

Have I ever shared my love for cupcakes?

(It may be obvious by looking at me...)

Anyhoo,  This cupcake craze has taken over the world, and our area is just now starting to catch on.  And boy am I glad for that! 

The name of the place we visited today is Frost Cupcake Bar.

YUMMY!

Basically, they have specialty cupcakes already made, OR you can design your own cupcake with cake, frosting flavor and toppings.

A couple of the girls opted for the ghost cupcakes that had a surprise in the middle, (oreo or m&m's), but I just couldn't pass up designing my own.

I KNOW I've shared my love of Nutella with you, and can you believe they had a Nutella frosting?? 

It was divine!

Light and fluffy, yet still creamy and decadent.  Exactly what I had hoped for.  Plus, I got mine with caramel drizzle.  And when one of the co-owners ask if I wanted chocolate shavings on top, who was I to say no?!

Ummm, can you say perfection?

I was tempted to get another to take home for later, but I have a feeling my 5-year-old would have ratted me out to my husband and I wasn't in the sharing kind of mood.

I must say, this cupcake bar idea is genius.  Kinda wish I have thought of it on my own.  But since I didn't, I'll just have to keep visiting the shop.

And I can because the cupcake are super reasonable at only around $3 each, (and less if you buy a dozen or more!).

Plus, the owners said that they are trying new recipes and flavor combinations all the time, so that is reason enough right there!

If you are in The Dayton area, you will want to try them out soon!  They are located in Springboro at 153 S. Main St. and their hours are Monday -Friday 10-7, and Saturday 11-8.  You can also check out their facebook page here.

And if you DO go in, tell them you heard about it here.  Maybe they'll send cupcakes :)

I am linking up with The Diaper Diaries for Things I Love Thursday!

Top Ten Tuesday: Reality Show Junkie Edition

I have said before that I am kind of a reality show junkie. 
My husband is less than thrilled.

He will watch a few with me, but mostly, he goes to the other room to watch football...or basketball...or baseball...or soccer...or hockey...

you get the idea.

Anyhoo, here is my list of Top Ten Reality Shows in case you are looking to add some to your rotation :)

BTW, there is nothing you can say to me to make me feel worse about these choices that I haven't said to myself.  Shameless, I know.

10.  Say Yes To The Dress.  To some, this may not qualify as 'reality TV', but the with the drama that some of these brides lay down, it could rank right up there with Jersey Shore.

9.  Top Chef.  I think this show is amazing!  The stuff these people come up with is incredible, and after every show I am convinced I, too, can be a chef.  Then I get out my lean cuisine and think again.

8.  American Idol.  I know some are jumping ship to The X Factor, but I will still tune into AI when it returns.  I am loyal that way.

7.  Sister Wives.  If you haven't seen this show then you are missing out!  It is like a train wreck that you CANNOT STOP WATCHING!  Seriously, give it a try.

6. Rachel Zoe.  If you don't know by now, I love fashion.  Rachel Zoe is kind of like my fashion hero.

5.  Survivor.  I have tuned in to almost every season and I still love it.  I just watch in amazement of what these people accomplish.  I could NEVER do it, but I think it's awesome! 

4.  Project Runway.  Fashion.  Drama.  Competition.  Perfection!

3.  House Hunters.  This kind of falls into the area of 'not a real reality show', but I still think it's great.  My girls and I love to watch together and then guess which house the people will choose.  I'm almost always right :)

2.  Real Housewives of anywhere.  I watch them all.  I know, I already told you I was shameless.  But the drama is crazy good and just makes me feel so much better about my whole life.

1.  Big Brother.   This show is by far my favorite.  Any show that has introduced me to Jeff and Jordan, (who BTW should have their own show!), is all thumbs up for me.  Full of craziness, drama, and laughs, it never disappoints.

There you have it.  There are a gazillion other reality shows out there, (and I watch A LOT of them), but this is my top ten list of favorites! 

So tell me, what reality shows are you addicted to??

I am linking up with Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday.  Check out all the other lists!

Mix It Up Monday: Finally!

I know, it has been a while since I've done a fashion post.

But it's hard to remember to take pictures all the time.

Plus, my husband thinks I'm crazy when I ask him to take a picture of me all the time.

Maybe I need to invest in a tripod??

Anyhow, here's a few from this week. 

Hanging around the house and errands:

White Tank and Black long sleeved tee: Target, Red Cardigan: Garage Sale, Jeans: Goodwill, Hat: Charming Charlie

Taking my nephew for his birthday lunch (he turned 3!!):

White Tank: Old Navy, Black Sweater: Torrid, Jeans: DressBarn, Pink Scarf: ??(Super old!), Flower: Claire's

Getting ready to go to haunted houses on Friday's Date Night!:

Head Scarf/Band: A Local Festival, Black Sweater: Torrid, (shhh, same one I wore the day before!), white tank: Target, Jeans: Old Navy, Boots: American Eagle)

 At The Dayton Ballet Matinee performance of Sleepy Hollow:

Pants: Macy's, Black Shirt, shoes and cardigan: Goodwill, Belt: DressBarn, Necklace: Kohls

Running errands and going for pizza:

Black Shirt and White Tank: Target, Cardigan and pants: Goodwill, Loafers:  Elder Beerman

So, nothing really to wow you here, but it is what it is.  And FYI, my husband HATES the head scarf/band thingy, (what do you call those anyway??).  I LOVE it.  So much that I don't really care if the rest of the world hates it, I'm wearing it anyway :)

I will be linking up with Momma Go Round for RMRS and The Pleated Poppy for WIWW.  Check them out!

Top Ten Tuesday: Fostering Christmas Care

For those who read my blog regularly, you know that I haven't posted much in the past few weeks.

Well, I could make excuses...

I've been busy, I've had a lot on my plate, I've been sick.  Yada Yada Yada...

While all of that may be true, it's also true that I have just been feeling sort of blah about blogging for the past few weeks.

Not sure why.

I just kept feeling like I had nothing important to write about.

Who wants to hear the details of my crazy life?

Some days, I don't even want to hear about it.

Anyhow, as I was trying to motivate myself to post again, I got a message from a friend asking me to post on my facebook wall about a campaign to help foster children in Greene County Ohio to ALL get Christmas gifts this year.

Of course I was happy to help.  So I posted the story, and then read the blog post attached and I felt God nudging me.

This is what I should blog about today.

I know that mostly us "mom bloggers" post about our crazy life and all the fun, silly things we do.  But we also have a platform to share about the important things.

And this is important.

It all started when a friend of a friend, (who is a foster parent in Greene County), went to a picnic and allowed her little girl to take an American Girl doll with her.  Soon, many of the foster care children were following her daughter around and asking for a doll of their own.  The mom felt horrible that she had not thought of how these other children might feel when she allowed her daughter to bring the doll.  Soon after, that mom committed to buying each young foster girl in the county an American Girl doll for Christmas.  But knowing that she couldn't leave out other children, she went beyond that and committed to buying gifts for every foster child in the community.

But she cannot do it alone.  She needs help.  Our help

Please read the entire story here and then see how you can contribute!  There are many ways, (almost Ten!), and I hope that you will consider helping these beautiful little children who need a happy Christmas. 

By the way, I know this is not my 'typical' Top Ten post, but if you need a Top Ten reasons to do this, then here ya go:

10.  Because you will feel better about yourself knowing that you helped a child have a happy Christmas.
9.  Because American Girl Dolls are AWESOME!
8.  Because it's the right thing to do.
7.  Because every little child deserves a special gift.
6.  Because we are blessed, we should use our blessings to help others.
5.  Because you would want someone to help your child if they were in need.
4.  Because you can make a difference in a child's life.
3.  Because it will help you to start getting into the Christmas Spirit!
2.  Because this is a great way to spend some money.
1.  Because you can!

I am linking up with Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday!

WFMW: Taking Kids to The Ballet (and a GIVEAWAY!)

If you haven't tried taking your kids to the ballet, you are missing out!

To expose your children to the arts is one the greatest gifts you can give them.

My girls love going to the ballet, and while some may think that it's more of an adult activity, it is DEFINITELY for the whole family!

Seeing a story unfold through dance awakens magic in children.

It helps to develop their creativity and opens them up to seeing beauty in it's many forms.

We try to expose our girls to the ballet and theater as much as possible.  And now you have a chance to do the same!

The Dayton Ballet is one of the most respected dance companies in the country.  We are SOOOO lucky to have this amazing level of talent right here in our city.

And today I am doing a GIVEAWAY to a performance of Sleep Hollow.  The winner will receive 4 tickets to a performance at one of their shows October 20-23, (you can choose which performance!). 

If your children have never gone to the ballet, this is a great way to expose them for the first time. 

But maybe you have already been and are looking for a different experience.  This show is perfect for kids to celebrate the spookiness of Halloween and before the 3pm performance on the 23rd, they are hosting a costume party for children! 

Could this be more fun??!!

There are several ways to enter (But make sure to leave a comment for EACH one you do!):

-Become a follower of this blog
-Follow Family Fun Mom on Twitter or Facebook
-Follow The Dayton Ballet on Facebook or Twitter
-Visit the Dayton Ballet Page and come back here to tell me about which performances seem most interesting to you.
-Tell us about your experience visiting The Dayton Ballet

BUT HURRY!!!!  This Giveaway will End Tomorrow at Midnight! Winner will be announced on Friday!  

I am linking up with We Are THAT Family for Works For Me Wednesday!

Disclaimer: I was provided with free tickets to The Dayton Ballet for this post.  All opinions are mine.   

Top Ten Tuesday: Knock Knock Jokes For Kids

My girls LOVE a good knock knock joke.

Okay, so even if it ISN'T so funny, they still Love them!

My oldest daughter caught on to knock knock jokes early, so most of hers made zero sense, but she thought they were hilarious just the same.

And of course, I thought it was funny just to watch her crack herself up :)

Now they actually know some real knock knock jokes and it's one of our family favorites to see who can come up with the best ones.

Here are a few that we love, and some new ones to add to the mix.

10.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Doris.  Doris Who?  Door is locked, that's why I'm knocking!
HA!  My daughter got this one from the show that used to be on Disney called The Doodlebops.  She told it over and over again.

9.  Knock knock.  Who's there?  Banana.  Banana who?  Knock knock.  Who's there? Banana.  Banana who?  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Orange.  Orange who?  Orange ya glad I didn't say Banana?  ...Also a family favorite!

8.  Knock Knock.  Who's There?  Boo.  Boo Who?  It's only a joke, don't cry about it.  Hahaha, this one's a classic!

7.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Andy Green.  Andy green who?  Andy Green grass grows all around and around Andy green grass grows all around. :)

6.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Police.  Police who?  Police stop telling these jokes.

5.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Luck.  Luck who?  Luck through the peep hole and you'll find out who's knocking.

4.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Woo.  Woo Who?  Don't get so excited, it's only a joke!

3.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Anita.  Anita who?  Anita come in!

2.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Howie.  Howie who?  Howie suppose to get in if you won't open the door?

1.  Knock knock.  Who's There?  Thermos.  Thermos who?  Thermos be a better joke that this!



I hope you have fun sharing some of these fun knock knocks with your little jokesters!

I am linking up with Oh Amanda!  for Top Ten Tuesday!

WIWW: I LOVE Sweaters!

Last week was kind of chilly around here, so I got to pull out some of my sweaters!!

I LOVE sweaters!!!

They keep you cosy and comfy and hide all those areas that swimsuits and shorts show off.

Yeah, I am DEFINITELY a sweater girl :)

Unfortunately, I was enjoying my sweaters so much that I forgot to take pictures of myself actually wearing them...

Except for this one:

We were going to my sisters for a get together and I remembered that I should probably get at least *one* pic for this week.

I love the layering I can do with this sweater, (and oh my.  As the winter wears on, you will see that I LOVE to layer too!), and I think the belt breaks it up a little.

And I got to wear heeled boots too!

This makes for one happy girl :)

Except it's now back in the mid 70's here...so no sweaters this week.

Gotta love Ohio weather.

I am linking up with Momma Go Round for RMRS, and The Pleated Poppy for WIWW.