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Welcome to the Official Muffin Tin Monday Blog Link-Up! It's the weekly blog link up that will spice up you daily lunch routine with the kiddos and put a smile on both you and your child's face! Not sure what all the fuss is about? Check out the MTM FAQ pageNow, on to the fun! There is NO THEME this week! Next week's theme? still not sure. I gladly welcome ideas. email me at vistamommy(at)yahoo(dot)comHere's our offering:Our "Lunchables at Home" Tin: Ritz crackers, sliced cheese, applesauce, organic...

UPDATE: Muffin Tin Boy is out of surgery and doing well! He will be really sore. I'll do a post sometime tomorrow about our "adventure". Pray for us, he won't be able to play outside for 6 whole weeks. I have no idea how how that will go down! MTM will be a separate post, coming shortly.A HUGE thank you to Kayce of On A Whim who posted the original message for me. She just happened to be on twitter last night after midnight when I was tweeting in the darkness of the hospital room. Check out her...

Photo courtesy of No Time For FlashcardsThis little weekly link list has brought me a quiet joy over the last year and a half. I always get a little giddy when I find something I think my readers will enjoy as much as I do. So, with out further ado...This week's links:PBS Parents: In honor of their "Great Day of Gratitude" on May 5, The Super Sisters of PBS Parents put together a great post for covert and humble ways your child can surprise his or her child with tokens of thankfulness during teacher...

I found these food cups at a Japanese store here in San Diego called Daiso. The link is to their online store. It's like the American dollar store, only everything cost about $1.89. These items are traditionally used for bento box meals and lunches, but I think they work perfect for muffin tin meals too!Look what we had for a snack!The little trays are for tea service, but they fit the cups perfectly!**disclaimer: These muffin cups were coated with a thin layer of plastic called polypropelene which...

I think I may have found a great way to get myself going on the desire to use %100 cloth resuable bags. And I have the lovely ladies at Moms Going Green to thank for sharing it with me!Introducing, The Tote Buddy.It's the world's first reusable grocery bag organizer. The organizer wraps around the bags and the handles stick out the top. Now, maybe they won't get lost in the car (or, erm, the house) and I can actually remember to use them. My concience is already getting the better of me. Twice this...

Earth Day 2010 is April 22!Here are some of Muffin Tin Mom's favorite green, eco-friendly and recycled projects for both kids and grown-upsRecycled Jello Container Seed StartersCraft Stars Using Cardboard TubesMake Felt Animals With Recycled Yogurt Cupsfor more eco-friendly fun on Muffin TIn Mom be sure to check out the rest of the Green Craft and Activity Pos...

Welcome to another fine edition of the weekly blog carnival that excites the tummies of children all over the world -Yes, friends, It's Muffin Tin Monday!This week's theme: Leftover's Rock! Wondering what this theme is about? It could also be called the "For-the-love-of-Pete-I-have-nothing-in-cupboards/fride-how-am-I-supposed-to-put-together-a-meal" theme. So...use leftovers, or whatever you can scrounge up that needs "getting rid of".That extra piece of apple that your son didn't eat?" Perfect.That...

Photo Property of Paper and Cake. The link list that has you ditching the doom and gloom of the weekly paper for inspiring, practical, crafty, or even fun and frivolous posts, blogs and sites from around the web.Here they are:On Etsy:Paper and Cake is one of my favorite Etsy shops. Their stuff is always full of whimsy and charm. For example I am in LOVE with this (pictured above) "A Very UnBirthday" Printable. Her take on Alice is just delightful!Sew Fierce: Stephanie has started selling adorable...

I am bound and determined to go greener with my family. We already recycle aluminum, plastic, and glass and much more. We are transitioning into PVC, pthalate, BPA, sulfate free personal care products, I reuse the plastic bags we get when shopping, but I'd like to just not use them at all. My goal right now- to use reusable shopping bags 100% of the time when shopping.In honor of this transition into greener shopping, I designed my own reusable bag thru Ralph's "design-a-reusable-bag" contest! The...

I just don't get it. How am I supposed to teach my kids not to use the "A" word with this in the lobby of the movie theater? I can't exactly "turn the channel" on this one. I understand the premise of the movie and I also understand the right of the studio to promote their movie. But, Really? Really? I guess they are appealing to their "target market". I just wish I could go to the movies with my family and not hope and pray my 5 year old son doesn't ask me what "A$$" spells.And as if...

What is it about Legos? They are tiny little building blocks that stir the imagination and enable grown-ups children all over the world to create, build, and imagine. I have been looking forward to the day when my son would discover the simple joy of these timeless manipulatives. It was always a battle between oh-my-goodness-my-son-will-choke-on-these-tiny-pieces and  waiting for him to truly discover them. And while my daughter did not initially gravitate to legos, she is discovering them...

Welcome to Muffin Tin Monday! Muffin Tin Mom is the "Official Home/Blog of Muffin Tin Monday" and the Muffin Tin Meal. To read more about this creative idea for mealtime with kids, be sure to check out the always evolving MTM FAQ page. The idea t is pretty simple, serve a meal, snack, or dessert to your kids in a muffin tin. The small individual cups are perfect for kid sized portions! And we call it Muffin Tin Monday, because, well, we serve them on mondays! Still not sure? Try it and see...

There's really no need for the paper, when you can browse through these wonderful links. C'mon. Be inspired. Add a little creativity and sunshine to your day!Here you go:For the creative types and those that secretly long to be one (or the ones that just like to look at really pretty stuff):Amanda Sarver: Amanda is a family friend and a super talented scrapbooker and card maker. She has a blog where she features the layouts, cards and paper crafting she does. One of my absolute favorite posts, is...

Present #1: Donuts For Breakfast. A super fun and totally unhealthy tradition in our family.Present #2: Something to open. Legos. The super itty-bitty teensy weensy kind, of which we have already lost 2 pieces.Present #3: Go to the Movies. We saw "How to Train Your Dragon". It rocked.Present #4: Lunch at Mc Donald's...More unhealthiness...Present #5: A trip to the store to pick out a toy: Muffin TIn Boy loves Bakugan, has no idea how to play, just loves that the balls open with the magnetic...

Tiffin Boxes are typical lunch carriers in India and Thailand. When I saw this, I immediately thought "How did they know?"After all Muffin + Tin = TiffinI'm in love.The top compartment even has divided sections.Want one? They have them at Target (in store) or online.Here:Tiffin Box 4-pc. Set - RedThey also come in stainless steel (not at Target)Small 3-Tier Tiffin Renewable Reusable Stainless Steel Lunch BoxI can just see a trip to the park or beach with one of these...

Still have a ton of those little plastic Easter eggs lying around?  Why not upcycle them into musical egg shakers using rice, ribbon and a little hot glue. They are perfect for little hands and plastic easter eggs come in a wide variety of bright and cheerful colors.Here's what you'll need:Medium sized ribbon, plastic easter egg that opens horizontally, rice, glue gun (I found mine for under $5 @ Walmart several years ago). Not shown: Scissors.1. Fill one half of your egg up with rice.2. Using...

We love Crayola Triangular Crayons. Two summers ago, we went on a family vacation. We were going to be Airplane bound for several hours and I knew we needed to have crayons on board. But I knew that one preschooler + a box of crayons + cramped space + tray tables = potential disaster. I knew I needed crayons that wouldn't roll all over the place. When I found the Triangular Crayons made by Crayola, I knew they would work for me! We left with 16 crayons and came home with 16 crayons. They are perfect...

Happy Muffin Tin Monday! Welcome to the official home of Muffin Tin Monday: The weekly blog gathering that brings smiles to kids faces all over the world ( A big shout out to South Africa!)There is no theme this week. I switched it up a little because of Easter, so feel free to do what ever theme you want or no theme at all. After a full weekend, I was getting ready last night for bed when it dawned on me: "I haven't done Muffin Tin Monday yet!" I almost cried because it had been a veeeery long...

Happy Easter!!!!I know I will have like 3 readers today, because everyone will be out and about celebrating Easter, but I thought I would but out a few links for you just in case you happened upon my love little corner of the web today.This is the Easter edition!That Artist Woman: This salt dough beaded cross craft is so wonderful. They look just beautiful. I want to make one and I think we will next week during Spring Break. Found via Catholic Icing.And speaking of Catholic Icing...Have you checked...

This simple Easter dinner table activity is sure to sitting through the big meal a little more bearable. You can transform a traditional coloring page into a "color-by-number" activity with just a few simple steps and items. A printable coloring page. HP has a ton of great printables from their Creative Studio, or if you have their Touchsmart Web Printer, the same printables are available thru the Easter Application (But, you can also google Free Easter Coloring Page)Crayons in 6 colors. You can...

Treat your family to an April Fool's Day sweet surprise with these "sugar" cookies for dessert.You'll need:Bread (white and potato for "sugar" cookies)Rolling PinCircle Cookie Cutter (any shape will do)Softened Cream CheeseAssorted SPrinklesFrosting Spreader (optional) Here's How:Using the rolling pin, flatten out your slices of breadCut out circles from the bread with the cookie cutterUsing the frosting spreader, cover the "cookie" with cream cheeseDash sprinkles on generously. The more sprinkles...