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It doesn't have to be Monday to enjoy a Muffin Tin Meal. Today, I pulled out our shaped silicone muffin tins (I know here in the US they are often called pans, but I am so used to saying muffin tin, that it just rolls right off the tongue).

What's in tin #1: Cheese and turkey triangle sandwiches, celery and peanut butter, yogurt with sprinkles, honey dew melon, tangerines


What's in tin #2: Star-shaped turkey and cheese sandwich, tangerines, yogurt sans sprinkles, honey dew melon stars with "ring" picks, celery sans peanut butter, banana slices

Both of the tins are made by Wilton, aside from all of the wonderful cake decorating supplies they make, Wilton features a variety of quality 6-cup shaped muffin pans that are perfect for themed muffin tin meals (and of course baking too!). The bright colors appeal to my kids and they enjoy choosing their own tins for lunch.

Here are all the tools I used for today's muffin tin meal. Cookie, vegetable, and sandwich cutters.


I'll be mentioning a little bit more about the tins, tools and accessories I have been using in the coming days and weeks. This way, when you go to make your own MTM, you'll have a more comprehensive idea of all the options available to you. I will also be adding more tutorials and how-to's for muffin tin meals. I hope you will join me!

In both tins: Pasta salad, star shaped bread, heart shaped hard boiled egg, salami slices on a food pick, carrot slices, ranch dip, celery slices, heart shaped hard boiled egg, mozzarella cheese circles, tangerine slices, banana slices, red licorice pieces.

Each of my littles got their own 12 cup muffin tin. It was too much this time around, so I saved it and they had it later for a snack. The pasta salad was new for them. Muffin Tin Girl enjoyed it quite a bit. :)

So what did you make for Muffin Tin Monday? Won't you share it? Be sure to add the URL to your blog post/phot by clicking the "add your link" button below.

We are getting a late start this morning, I have had some urgent family business. My hope this morning is that you all are able to find a bit of respite this morning/day/evening.

Little Food Junction: adorable watermelon elmo face (photo credit above)! So sweet and great for muffin tin meals and bento-making.

Moments of Mommyhood: Love Sandy's post on Pasta Dyeing "how to". Perfect for stringing yarn and making necklaces! (found via tumblr)

The Tom Kat Studio: features a darling vintage cowgirl party....if my daughter had been into it at all, we would have done this!

Someday Crafts: Will someone please make me this adult summer-y pillowcase dress? I will love you forever.

So there you have it!

The winner of the Get Moving Family Fitness from Jumpstart is

 # 34 LISA... 

I still have yet to figure out screen shots, otherwise I would be showing that you right now.

SO congratulations to you Lisa! And thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I could give you all a copy

I have another very-super-extra-awesome-giveaway coming up next week, so stay tuned!

also up in a few minutes will be the NNFSP links post.

Magic Moving Pepper:

• Pepper
• A bowl
• water
• a teensy amount of dishsoap

• Fill a bowl with water
• Add lots of pepper, the more pepper the more dramatic the effect.
• Dab your finger in some dish soap, you don't need a lot.
• Dip your finger lightly in the water
• Watch as the pepper magically floats away!

 The folks at Jumpstart and Knowledge Adventure are at it again, with the brand new Wii game entitled Get Moving Family Fitness: Sports Edition starring Brooke Burke. While the Jumpstart brand is renowned for their devotion to making educational games for kids, they decided to tackle another important topic: staying fit, active, and healthy.

The game is a fantastic way for families who love the Wii to spend time together and get active, all while having fun. With an emphasis on sports, the first installment of Get Moving, will have you and your family enjoying everything from baseball to ice skating.

Here are some quick facts about the game to know before you buy.

• The price point is $29.99
• It has an ESRB rating of "E" for Everyone.
• It hit shelves on June 15th and can be found anywhere Wii games are sold.

Here are some points of interest:

• You can design your own character (known as a "Jumpee") to race and play
• You can build customized routines for extra challenge and set each game to easy, medium or difficult
• There is a single or multi-player option
• You can choose your game location -play underwater, on a farm, in Egypt or 8 other fun locations
• features important tips on staying healthy

Thanks to the folks at Jumpstart/Knowledge Adventure, our family recently had an opportunity to sit down stand up and play a rousing session of Get Moving Family Fitness. We had a blast!

• It's similar to Wii Fit and Wii Sports, in that it has game content that focuses on a wide range of sports, fitness and balance games. However, it has all of Jumpstart's unique style and yet has kids in mind.
• The baseball, volleyball and pinball balance game were our favorites.
• We loved that you can "practice" separate skills within a sport (i.e. -both catching and hitting in baseball and serving and spotting in volleyball)
• As a parent, I love that it promotes an active healthy lifestyle and engages the players on an interactive level (instead of passive consumption).

• The Wii remote seemed to be very sensitive to player use. This might prove difficult for the younger aged children below six years. (We experienced a little cry fest during our first time playing).
• As a parent, I'd love to see more positive affirmation when you hit the ball, score a point etc. Sometimes, the baseball game felt a little quiet, or when the kids would miss, Brooke's voice would come on saying "too far". 

In a nutshell: Out of the 3 the Wii Jumpstart titles I have reviewed, I think this one is our favorite and all the quirks aside, my kids love it. Here's a little video of them playing.




Simply leave a comment telling me one way you and your family stay (or would like to stay) active both indoors and out. That's it. Yep, That's it. No extra entries this time. :) Good luck, and I hope you win!
YOU MUST LEAVE ME A WAY TO CONTACT YOU IN YOUR COMMENT!


*Disclosure: I received 1 copy of the game to review  and one to give away on this blog, all opinions are my own and unbiased. All images are property of Knowledge Adventure.

I can't tell you how excited I was to get this silicone flower shaped muffin tin from my swap partner, Faith.

• Miniature Flower Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
• Flower-shaped apple slices (flower stem picks from a wonderful reader and MTM'er )
• Fruit Snacks 
• Tangerine (with flower shaped stamped on top)
• Snap peas with dip
• Carrot and Mozzarella cheese skewers 

Hello lovely readers! This week's links are short and sweet. I hope you enjoy!

Serving Pink Lemonade: Make a pretend play reusable grocery bag for your child. Perfect accessory to the play food stash.

Party Like a Kid: I am still a little mesmerized how this pair of converse shoes is actually a cake....The texturing is fantastic!

Cake Spy: What's better than a cupcake? A cupcake with chocolate chip cookie dough baked inside, Oh my heavens!

Let's Explore: Love this grocery store games for kids post. My kids get a case of the sillies every time we step into a grocery store, I am sure these idea would be a great diversion.

Just realized all the links have to do with food....hmmmm....I must be hungry.....

We found a bird's nest today as my Father-in-law was trimming the palm tree back. The feather was found separately. So neat!

I am not a gourmet cook by any means. Really, a recipe needs to easy peasy for me not only love it, but make it. That doesn't mean I need to sacrifice on taste. This slow cooker (aka crock pot) chicken recipe is perfect for family gatherings or even the everyday family meal. And depending on your family size, you might even have yummy left overs! Recently, I shared this recipe with my friend Sugar and she let me know that it is excellent with lemon pepper!

I am over at The Bobby Pin today sharing my definition of beautiful for The Beautiful Project. Natalie has put together so many wonderful women, I encourage you to hop over, grab a cup of coffee, and sit and read some of these entries. They are heart warming, inspiring, and thought provoking.

A few weeks ago, when I made the polymer clay fruit food picks, I made this simple necklace. I have a thing for making my own necklaces.

Happy Monday! I'll keep it short and simple this week. Muffin Tin Mom is the official Home of Muffin Tin Monday. To learn more visit the MTM FAQ page.